"KIA's defense is top-class."
The KIA Tigers won the integrated championship in the 2024 season, but there was one blemish: the dishonor of having the most errors among the 10 teams, with a total of 146. This exceeded the previous record of 134 errors set by the Hanwha Eagles in 2022. It was 65 more than the least errors recorded by the Samsung Lions (81). The gap with the second most errors, also the Hanwha Eagles (123), was 43.
Among the players, last year's third baseman Kim Do-young had the most errors with 30, a humiliation for the league. Shortstop Park Chan-ho (23 errors), who handles a variety of batted balls, followed, while second baseman Kim Sun-bin recorded 10 errors. Outfielder Lee Woo-sung, who switched to first base, made 8 errors. Nevertheless, they lifted the championship trophy, dominating their opponents with a powerful bullpen and a 30% batting lineup to secure their 13th title.
This year, the strength of the mound and the batting lineup is highly rated, but the true results will only be revealed after the games begin. Other teams are also expected to strengthen their rosters, reducing the power gap between the top and bottom teams. This indicates that KIA will have more tightly contested games this year than last. Therefore, they face the task of reducing the number of errors that can have a decisive impact on the outcome.
Manager Lee Bum-ho is not overly worried. "We had many errors, but I believe we have top-class defense. Even though Sun-bin's defensive range has narrowed, he excels at defense using his head, with an exceptional ability to position himself by observing the batter. Wisdom has also played third base, so he is expected to have good defensive skills. Do-young has improved a lot. We have many backups who can defend well," he expressed with confidence.
In particular, the improvement in Kim Do-young's defensive stability is a positive sign. He demonstrated a steel mentality, not dwelling on last year's errors. The extraordinary 30 errors have actually become a catalyst for significant development in his defense. Training camp evaluations indicate that both his footwork for fielding and his throwing actions have become much smoother and more natural. With the championship along with experience and confidence, there are predictions that errors will significantly decrease compared to last year.
Park Chan-ho's defensive abilities are recognized as top-class in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). He was named the defensive king for two consecutive years until last year. Last year, he received both his first championship and the Golden Glove as a shortstop. This year, he is also expected to play a significant role defensively. Wisdom, who will start at first base, is also expected to have no issues with defense, given his extensive Major League experience.
The defensive capabilities of the infield backup players, which Manager Lee takes pride in, are also strong. Backup players by the names of Byun Woo-hyeok at first and third base, along with Park Min, Kim Gyu-sung, and Hong Jong-pyo, have all demonstrated excellent performances defensively. They can be deployed as effective backups for late-game defense. The outfield composed of Na Sung-bum, Choi Won-jun, and Lee Woo-sung (Lee Chang-jin) features strong arms and a wide defensive range. KIA will play their first camp game against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp on the 22nd at the Okinawa City venue, and assessing their defensive capabilities will be one of the key points during the practice game.
[OSEN = Lee Sun-ho reporter]