‘Even Japan’s Ichiro was summoned.’ The winning general and even the head coach received rave reviews. Will this become a Korean baseball treasure?

The ‘2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League’ LG-KIA match was held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 26th. KIA Kim Do-young is dismantling his protective equipment after hitting a timely double with 2 RBIs in the top of the 3rd inning and getting on base. /Photo=Reporter Kim Jin-kyung

Both manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, a ‘winning master’, and manager Lee Beom-ho, a ‘legendary third baseman,’ both praised infielder Kim Do-young (21, KIA Tigers). The name of world legend Ichiro Suzuki (Japan) was also summoned.

Kim Do-young is performing at his best this season. On the 25th, in the game against Kiwoom Heroes, he hit his 10th home run of the season against Kiwoom pitcher Seongi Kim in the 5th inning. However, Kim Do-young hit a total of 10 home runs in April alone. Kim Do-young, who succeeded in stealing 11 bases in April, became the first player in KBO League history to achieve 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases per month.

Kim Do-young also performed well in the Jamsil KIA game on the 26th. Although the team lost, Kim Do-young started as the third batter and third baseman and scored 2 hits, 2 RBIs, and 1 run in 5 at-bats. Kim Do-young, who was retired by a fly ball to center field in the first inning, hit a timely double with two RBIs to left center when he had a chance to reach second and third base with no outs in the top of the third inning. Then, in the 4th inning, he completed a multi-hit game with a hit to left center. Afterwards, Kim Do-young retired with a strikeout in both at-bats in the 6th and 8th innings.

This season, Kim Do-young played in 28 games, batting average of 0.336 (39 hits in 116 at-bats), 5 doubles, 2 triples, 10 home runs, 26 RBI, 27 runs, 11 stolen bases, 8 walks, 2 balls hit by 2 pitches, 24 strikeouts, slugging percentage of 0.672, on-base percentage of 0.383, He is recording an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 1.055 and a scoring average of 0.370. It is no exaggeration to say that he is leading the team by ranking first in slugging percentage, tied for second in home runs, tied for second in most hits, second in runs scored, third in RBIs, fourth in stolen bases, and first in OPS.

Ahead of the game on the 26th, LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop gave a thumbs up to Do-young Kim, saying, “His hitting point is very good.” He then said, “His strength is that he builds the left wall (which serves as the axis) well so that it does not shake when hitting and does not collapse until the end.” .

Kim Do-young is hitting a home run. /Photo = Provided by KIA Tigers

KIA Kim Do-young targeted Kim Seon-gi’s high fastball in the top of the 5th inning against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 25th and hit a mid-month solo shot. I am delighted with KBO’s first monthly record of 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases. /Photo = Provided by KIA Tigers

At the same time, Coach Yeom summoned the names of legendary players from Korea and Japan. He explained, “Ichiro Suzuki, Jeong-hoo Lee (San Francisco Giants), and Tae-gyun Kim (retired) are good at building this wall. In the past, Tae-gyun Kim repeated the swinging motion while maintaining the wall during batting training.”

KIA coach Lee Beom-ho also repeatedly praised Kim Do-young. Coach Lee said, “He is a player with outstanding talent. However, he is in good condition recently and seems to be getting better as he swings with confidence.”

Manager Lee continued, “I guess I got a better understanding of the pitchers. I felt more relaxed at the plate. In fact, I had a strong desire to do well in the past two seasons, but I think I became anxious after getting injured. At the same time, I was able to get to the plate quickly. “As I was trying to solve it, my hitting point was a bit shaky, but now I’m only hitting the balls I want to hit,” he said emphatically.

Coach Lee continued, “Of course, there are a lot of things that need to be changed in the future. Even if you hit 10 home runs a month now, you can’t hit 50. Baseball is not that simple. At some point, physical strength and other issues will come up.” “This can lead to a slump, so I and the coaching staff need to manage that well.”

KIA Kim Do-young targets Kim Seon-gi’s high fastball in the top of the 5th inning against Gocheok Kiwoom on the 25th, hits a mid-month solo shot, and runs around third base. /Photo = Provided by KIA Tigers

Above all, Kim Do-young’s body size (182 cm, 81 kg) is not large. However, she is showing off her very attractive slugging instincts. Choi Hyeong-woo, another slugger on the team, said in an interview with Soo-hun on the 23rd, “Kim Do-young is different from us. When hitting a home run, if the point is hit, it is natural to pass over. But (Kim) Do-young is one or two balls behind the point. Even though he is hit from behind, he jumps over the fence by pulling rather than pushing. This is possible because his strength, agility, and turning movements are all incredibly superior to those of other people. “It is,” he explained.

Kim Do-young also said on the 23rd, “When I hit a home run in the beginning, I get a little excited and continue the game, but every time that happens, I try to quickly forget (the preceding situation). I was a little excited until I went on defense, but I calmly prepared for the next at-bat. I don’t think about home runs at all. Sometimes I think about how many home runs I have, but I force myself to think, ‘What kind of home run are you talking about? Let’s just hit a hit.’ It’s really good that I haven’t had any injuries yet. “I spend each day feeling grateful that I can play baseball without having to undergo rehabilitation at this time.”

Nevertheless, Kim Do-young does not hide his greed in playing baseball. Kim Do-young said, “I’m not conscious of home runs at all. I actually have a strong desire to run more. I’m more greedy for stolen bases than for home runs. That’s because I like that kind of baseball better. By playing like that, the atmosphere in the stadium is exciting, and that kind of baseball is a bit more for me. “I think it’s true, home runs can create that kind of atmosphere, but I want to create that kind of atmosphere more by running, but I don’t think my physical strength can support it,” he said honestly.

The ‘2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League’ LG-KIA match was held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 26th. KIA Kim Do-young (right) is adjusting his helmet after hitting a come-from-behind double with 2 RBIs and getting on base in the top of the 3rd inning. /Photo=Reporter Kim Jin-kyung

The ‘2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League’ LG-KIA match was held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 26th. KIA Kim Do-young (right), who hit two RBIs in the top of the third inning, is welcomed by manager Lee Beom-ho (left) in the dugout after scoring a run. /Photo=Reporter Kim Jin-kyung

Kim Do-young joined KIA for the 2022 season after graduating from Gwangju Daesung Elementary School, Gwangju Dongsung Middle School, and Gwangju Dongsung High School. The large amount of his contract deposit of 400 million won shows the KIA club’s expectations for him. Above all, while playing in high school baseball, he was evaluated as a representative ‘5-tool player (a player with contact, slugging power, speed, defense, and throwing ability)’, raising great expectations.

Kim Do-young, who has been called the ‘second Lee Jong-beom’, is actually playing a game reminiscent of Lee Jong-beom this season. In his first year, he posted a batting average of 0.237 (53-for-224), 3 home runs, 19 RBI, and 13 stolen bases in 103 games, with an OPS of 0.674. The performance fell somewhat short of his expectations. In the 2023 season, he was out of the lineup for about three months due to a fractured metatarsal bone in his left foot, but in 84 games, he had a batting average of 0.303, 7 home runs, 47 RBIs, 72 runs, 25 stolen bases, an on-base percentage of 0.371, a slugging percentage of 0.453, and an OPS of 0.824.

And he has emerged as one of the best hitters in the KBO League, finally exploding his potential by ranking at the top of various indicators this season. Will Kim Do-young continue to perform like this and become a treasure of Korean baseball? The expectations of not only KIA fans but also Korean baseball fans are also rising.

[저작권자 @머니투데이, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]