After a particularly snowy winter, the springtime has come. Alongside spring training, the time of baseball has begun to flow again. P1Harmony member THEO had to stand on his feet for three hours to watch a game after failing to secure tickets and went live on Weverse at one a.m. to share baseball stories with his fans, P1ece. THEO has no doubt of the Hanwha Eagles’ successful spring season and their securing a spot in fall baseball. We asked him why he loves baseball.

How I became an Eagles’ fan

THEO: I didn’t know much about baseball until I got to high school. My friends in high school were into baseball and that’s how I went to see my first game at 17. At my first in-person baseball game, the Hanwha Eagles won a come-from-behind victory with a three-run. They were having a close game, so people were festive. I’ve always loved watching sports and it was so much fun to cheer together with everyone. That’s how I became a fan of the Hanwha Eagles. I immediately booked the tickets for the next day’s game.

Savoring games in-person

THEO: When you see a player with a fastball like Moon Dong-ju on the field, you hear a lot of wows and ohs coming from the stands. Also, you can hear that thud when the ball hits the mitt. That’s why I like savoring games in person. I’ve never been at a game by myself, though. I love cheering and enjoying the game together, so I’m always with my friends when I’m in Daejeon and with the other members if I’m in Seoul. But I don’t get to go to the games much these days because my days off have to coincide with the Hanwha Eagles’ away match in Seoul for me to go.

Tips for enjoying in-person games for P1ece

THEO: P1Harmony’s concerts happen once or twice a year. I really want to tell P1ece that watching some in-person baseball games in between could be a fun way to spend the downtime! I’m a bit cautious about it, but I would like to discuss baseball with P1ece once they get the hang of it. I hope they can experience that excitement. Even if the Hanwha Eagles don’t win, they create such a great atmosphere by just hitting a ball. (laughs) So P1ece, definitely try going to a game and feel that atmosphere firsthand. I love how it’s so festive. I would recommend them to sit in the bleachers. Actually, not the bleachers! Now that I come to think of it, I think it’s more fun to stand in the back of the stands. I like watching the game standing up and there’s always room to stand in the back. It’s so much fun to stand there, eat fried chicken with friends, and chant together. It’s not just baseball. I like singing along if I’m at a concert, too. I would say that baseball games are somewhat similar to concerts but more accessible. It goes for almost half the year once the season starts, so it’s really nice to just go and have fun. (laughs)

The Eagles have the best chants

THEO: I don’t know if it’s okay to say this (laughs), but I think the Hanwha Eagles’ have the best chants. The chants are part of the reasons why I cheer for the Eagles. In particular, I think Hong Changwha, the captain of the cheer team, is playing a significant role. He has always been with the Eagles, while other teams have gone through many captains. Hong is so energetic and great at leading the fans. That makes me enthusiastic about cheering, too. I like the chants from when Lee Yongkyu was an Eagles player. Also, I love the chant we sing when players hit the ball. That’s my favorite. (laughs) 

Appeal of the Hanwha Eagles

THEO: Being from Daejeon is the biggest factor. Also, I can’t seem to get over 2018, when we made it to the fall baseball. I keep thinking, “We can do it.” I want to see the Hanwha Eagles in the fall league. I want to be there. (laughs) I mean, there’s no fun in winning first place all the time. So when we do win or make it to the fall baseball, it’s like a festival for the fans. It’s kind of emotive. It makes me fall in love with the team more.

Baseball discussions with friends

THEO: Since all my friends in Daejeon are rooting for the Hanwha Eagles, that’s all we talk about. When we get a new good player, we discuss what place we think we will end up in and if our ranking isn’t good, we talk about possible ways to improve our defense and offense. Typical baseball things that guys talk about. My friends are objective, but I tend to be more hopeful. I would always put the Eagles in the top rank. (laughs) I expect them to finish in fourth place this year. Doesn’t it sound doable?

Joy of baseball

THEO: I got into this line of work because I wanted to perform so much. I’ve always loved the energetic atmosphere of concerts where you sing along to the music blasting from big speakers and occasionally shout out loud. But once I got into the position of being on stage myself, I had fewer opportunities to do that. Enjoying from the stage and enjoying from the audience are different experiences. You can’t enjoy the performance as much as those who are watching. But the place where I get to do that is the baseball field. I’m there to have fun, so I can scream all I want, chant, and eat delicious food. It’s so much fun when I’m there with the other members. I always say, “I’m so happy,” when I’m at a game. Once I’m at the baseball game, I can forget about everything else and just focus on winning. After the season ends, I wait for the next season thinking about how much fun it will be. So it wasn’t hard for me to go on Weverse LIVE last October. Because I both love watching baseball and going live.

In-person games with P1Harmony members

THEO: I’ve taken them to the game about three times, but every time we went, the Eagles lost so badly. So they’re not exactly rooting for the Eagles yet. (laughs) Strangely enough, they seem to lose every time we are at Jamsil. The other members would ask when the Eagles were going to hit or move forward. (laughs) But I made them cheer enthusiastically. They like the excitement so they like cheering and chanting, but they just wanted to know when the Eagles were moving forward. (laughs)

But they don’t know the rules of baseball. (laughs) They don’t really know that you can move forward once you hit the ball. So I have to explain to them that a player can keep running until the other team’s player catches the ball. They don’t exactly know about home runs, either. So, if there are players on first and second bases and the next batter hits a home run, that gives you three points, right? I explain to them that you get three points because there is one person each on first and second bases and then there’s one who hit the ball. It has never been a hassle to explain the rules. If someone asks why a player is running when he’s trying to steal a base, I just tell him that he can. (laughs)

Baseball with the members

THEO: I enjoy watching it, but honestly, I’ve hardly ever played it. The other members are not interested in sports. (laughs) But if I were to think about it, I think KEEHO would be a good catcher. The catcher is someone who relays a sign to the pitcher and KEEHO is a supportive communicator. SOUL would be a good pitcher. (Not you?) Oh, me included? Then it’s me. INTAK would be a batter. INTAK and SOUL could be a good player. JIUNG would love to be the cheer captain. As for JONGSEOB, I would say he’s someone who just came to watch the game. (laughs)

Why I like sports

THEO: I like the atmosphere, but I also enjoy seeing what the individual athlete is capable of. I’ve been watching a lot of UFC recently and each fighter has their own techniques. I like seeing the different skills of different athletes. And I have a great respect for them. Sports is all about striving for first place. So every time I watch a game, I can’t help but think, “They must have put so much effort to perform so well despite being so nervous.” 

To the Hanwha Eagles

THEO: I’m always rooting for you and I always will be until the day you take first place. So please train hard for the fans waiting. And I want to throw the first pitch at the game. I’ve been saying this since the debut. (laughs) I really want to step onto that field. I want Moon Dong-ju to teach me how to pitch. I’m somewhat athletic, but it was surprisingly difficult to throw the ball. So I can’t imagine how one can pitch right in the strike zone! So I want to learn how to pitch properly from Moon Dong-ju and I also want a jersey with my name on it. (laughs)