Korea's professional baseball Samsung Lions' 'home manager' Kang Min-ho excelled on both offense and defense, contributing to the victory in the opening game.

Kang Min-ho played the cleanup role in the regular season opener against the Kiwoom Heroes at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 22nd. In the second inning with a 3-2 lead and one out and runners on first and third base, he hit a two-run double to right-center field, bringing the runners home. Samsung successfully seized the momentum by completing a big inning in the second.

Kang Min-ho hit a double to left field in the fifth inning, tying the record for the most hits in an opening game with Kim Kwang-rim (SSANGBANGWOOL), Kim Tae-kyun (Hanwha), and Jung Geun-woo (LG).

Kang Min-ho's performance was remarkable not only in offense but also in defense. He provided a stable lead as a catcher, contributing to the victory of the foreign pitcher Ariel Hurado, who started the opening game.

Samsung defeated Kiwoom 13-5, taking the opening game with a good feeling. After the game, Kang Min-ho met with reporters and smiled about tying the record for most hits, saying, 'I think I achieved it a bit late since it’s my 22nd season.'

Samsung struck 18 hits that day, shattering the Kiwoom pitching staff. Kang Min-ho said, 'I'm happy to win the opening game, and the players worked hard all winter, so it seems like we started well from the first game,' adding, 'However, since it is just one game out of 144, I won’t get too excited or discouraged and will continue to perform well with what we've prepared.'

As he took on the cleanup role, he said, 'I felt a bit burdened and told the manager, 'I think the order came out wrong,’ to which he replied, ‘It’s okay. You’re the temporary (cleanup hitter),’” adding, “I tried not to pay too much attention to the batting order and just do my best in the given situations. It seems like our team's cleanup hitter will change frequently this season, but I won't worry too much about it.'

He, who partnered with the starter Hurado, said, 'I was nervous at first, but I tended to throw the ball sometimes too high or inside. Once additional runs were scored, I started to throw my pitches more comfortably.'

Kang Min-ho noted that after experiencing the Korean Series last year, the skills of the younger players have improved significantly. 'I have gained a lot of confidence now. Watching (Lee) Jae-hyun fielding, I thought he has become more relaxed. As we go through the season, there will be winning streaks and difficult times, but if we get through those well, we should be able to achieve the good results we want,' he predicted.

The team's bullpen has become much younger. The role of catcher Kang Min-ho, who is a former national team member, has become even more important.

He stated, 'There will surely be ups and downs, but in a way, I see this as a growth process. In games, there will be times when we do well and times we won't, but we can't perform well in professional baseball from the very beginning. Experiencing hardships is necessary to grow into a bigger player.'

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