Having showered and changed after another afternoon baseball practice, Andrew Ahn sits on his stool in the lockeroom searching through numbers on his cell phone until he reaches that of his father's. “Even to this day I call him after every practice and game and he gives me advice on the things that I can improve on. He has always been there for me,” states Ahn. Ahn's role model has always been his father Hyan. The man who not only introduced him to the game of baseball, but also taught him everything he knows about the game.
Ahn began playing when he was seven years old and since then, the game has become his life. “After my father introduced me to baseball that was all I ever wanted to do because of the excitement the game brought to my life,” Ahn remembers. Hyan Ahn played baseball, so it was only natural for Andrew to follow suit. The game runs through the blood of the Ahn family.
Ahn, a freshman at Fairleigh Dickinson University, comes to the Knights this season and, like many other college athletes, he had a very successful high school career. Attending Benjamin Cardoza, he earned four letters in baseball, captaining the team during his senior season, as well as being recognized as the team's MVP. Ahn played in every game, batting over .400 in all four years.
That is as far as his similarities go in comparison to many other college baseball players as Ahn combined his high school achievements with a separate, very unique aspect of his baseball heritage. Since the age of 14, Ahn has been competing in the Korean Olympic Games as a representative of the New York-based Korean team. The Korean Olympics are held every two years, occurring in a different state within the United States. Cities with Korean-based baseball teams come together to play and compete for the gold medal. New York, Chicago, Washington and Los Angeles are just some of the cities whose teams travel every two years bidding to become Korean champions.
The event is set up much like the Olympic games and include many sports, such as soccer, swimming and fencing. As for baseball, the tournament is set up into two pools with each team playing every other team in their pool. At the end of the pool games, the leaders of each group with the best overall records meet each other in a championship game to decide who wins the gold.
Ahn was introduced to the Korean Olympics through his father, who is the manager of the New York-based Korean team. Embarking upon the event at such a young age was a very daunting, but exciting time for Ahn. “ I remember I was just 14 years old, playing with guys that were in their twenties and thirties and knowing that I had to step my game up to be able to compete with them,” Ahn reflected.
Since debuting at the Korean Olympics, Ahn has had some successful appearances. In 2003, when Andrew was 14, the games were held in Texas. Throughout the tournament Ahn went 8-for-9 with a walk and was a major factor in his team's acquisition of the bronze medal with a third place finish. In 2005, Ahn, as a 16 year old, traveled to Pennsylvania with the team and captured fourth place. Ahn aided the cause by contributing a home run. Ahn missed the 2007 Korean Olympics in San Francisco because of an injury, but he promises “this has just made me more determined to make the 2009 games. I aim to come back and help my team to win the gold. Within the Korean community of America, the Korean Olympics are very prestigious and highly regarded. I feel very privileged and very proud to be allowed the opportunity to compete in such a fun and competitive environment”.
The opportunity provided vast experience for a young Ahn. It gave him a platform to carve a very successful baseball career at such an early stage in his career. “Having the opportunity to compete in the Korean Olympics has given me a great launch-pad to mount a successful college career here at Fairleigh Dickinson,” Ahn confirmed.
When asked of his goals within the realms of Fairleigh Dickinson University baseball, Ahn, a projected business major, is very clear to state that everything is about the team. “We need to win as many games as possible. Take it one game at a time and play fundamental baseball.”
Throughout childhood his father was quick to teach him baseball is a team sport made up of individuals coming together as one and this will not change for Andrew now that he has reached college. “As a team, I hope that we become a strong unit and help each other through our struggles.” In his own play, Ahn is aiming to have a solid year defensively at second base and offensively show the same kind of batting form that brought him so many accolades during his high school years.
Looking to the future, Ahn is hoping for a successful four years at Fairleigh Dickinson University both on the baseball field and in the classroom. Following that, a career in professional baseball has long been his dream.
As he sits on the stool in his lockeroom, Andrew Ahn finishes his conversation with his father and hangs up the phone. Processing the information his father has left him to ponder he remembers the words his father has been telling him since he was a small seven year old boy, holding a bat for the first time. “No matter what my chances, there is no giving up.” Words that will not only lead to success on the baseball field, but also success in life.
