Professional baseball player Kim Young-woong of the Samsung Lions returned home early due to a bruise on his right rib during the second camp in Okinawa, Japan, but he has shaken off the injury and earned a chance to start in the opening game.
On the 22nd, Kim Young-woong started as the eighth baseman in the home game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. Manager Park Jin-man, who met with reporters before the game, said, "His physical condition is fine, but he lacks a bit of real-game sense. He is such a talented player, so he should be able to show enough through the games.
Before the game, Kim Young-woong, surrounded by reporters, said, "My physical condition has improved a lot. I feel good to have the chance to start, but I feel a mix of excitement and anxiety.
Having played in two away games against the Army Futures League on the 19th and 20th and recorded 6 at-bats with no hits, 1 walk, and 1 run, Kim Young-woong said, "I lack a bit of real-game sense, but I'm trying not to worry too much," and promised, "I will do my best to repay the trust of the coach.
Captain Gu Ja-wook named Kim Young-woong, who hit 28 home runs last year to complete a career high, as a key player for this season. The reason is, "(Kim) Young-woong did well last year, so he needs to show good form this year, too.
In response, Kim Young-woong said, "Of course, I want to do well, and I think I need to. I will strive to do better than last year.
There is no satisfaction for Kim Young-woong. He is taking steps toward a higher goal. He revealed, "There hasn't been any major change compared to last year. I am improving small aspects one by one. I want to learn and grow a lot this year. Most importantly, I want to finish the season without injuries.
While Kim Young-woong has demonstrated considerable power by hitting 28 home runs last year, his batting average is only .252 (115 hits in 456 at-bats), which means he has the task of improving his accuracy.
"I think about needing to improve my accuracy. But because I tend to go after the ball, it doesn't always go as I want. I plan to swing according to the situation instead of insisting on full swings," said Kim Young-woong.
Kim Young-woong often looks at videos from when he performed well. A day before the opening game, he reviewed the video from the game against Kiwoom on Sept. 25 of last year, where he hit his season 2728th home run and contributed with 3 RBIs and 2 runs, helping the team win.
"Watching the videos from when I did well gives me confidence. I watched the video of the Kiwoom game on the 25th yesterday (21st), and it seemed to help. Since I was out due to injury, I had a lower real-game sense compared to the seniors who played in the exhibition games. I wanted to try various methods to regain my real-game sense and did image training while watching the videos.
When Kim Young-woong paused due to the rib bruise, rookie infielder Cha Seung-jun began to make a name for himself by seizing the opportunity to start. What thoughts crossed Kim Young-woong's mind as he watched Cha Seung-jun's performance?
He replied, "I can't believe he's three years younger than me. It's not just because of his appearance, but his skills and relaxed demeanor are impressive for his age. I think he will be good at baseball.
Regarding his goals for this season, he stated, "I haven't set anything yet. I prefer to set goals as I play the games.
In this game, Kim Young-woong struck out in the 2nd inning and flew out in the 3rd. However, during the 4th inning with 1 out and runners on 1st and 2nd bases, he delivered a timely hit that completed the team's double-digit scoring. He made a fly out to first base in the 5th and struck out again in the 7th but did not add any more hits.
Despite lacking real-game sense, Kim Young-woong proved himself as a player ready for the real game with his timely hit. He clearly showed that his physical condition poses no issues. Kim Young-woong's showtime is just beginning.
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