Was it to commemorate meeting free agent eligibility requirements?
KIA Tigers outfielder Kim Ho-ryeong (34) has met the requirements for free agency. He joined in the second round, 10th pick in 2015 and is in his 12th year. Until last year he was exactly two days short of the required first-team registration period for free agency. It was regrettable that his rookie season amounted to only 143 days. Had he reached 145 days, he would have earned free-agent eligibility last year and likely secured a fairly satisfactory contract. Still, he did not dwell on it and prepared diligently for the season.
On the 28th he was added to the opening-day roster against the SSG Landers and completed the two days through the 29th. He appeared as the leadoff hitter in three consecutive games through the 31st against the LGs. Manager Lee Beom-ho considered several options for the leadoff role. He settled on Kim Ho-ryeong, who had shown the best condition through the exhibition games. Last year he couldn't even make the roster, but this year he proudly placed his name in the opening lineup as the leadoff hitter.
He was silent at the plate in the opening two games. In 10 plate appearances he had no hits. However, he drew two walks and scored on both occasions. He received applause despite no hits. His Ho-ryeong zone defense was outstanding. In the fourth inning of the opening game against SSG he threw his body into a collision risk with shortstop Park Min to corral Eredia's mis-hit, hit-and-run–type liner. Starter James Neal could not hide his surprise and applauded.
On March 31 he moved the venue to Jamsil and played his part on both offense and defense in the game against defending champion LG Twins. In the bottom of the first with a 1-0 lead and two outs, he sprinted to catch Austin's hard-hit ball splitting center right and grabbed it cleanly. A frightening situation could have developed as right fielder Oh Seon-woo charged in. Starter Adam Oller raised both arms in a thankful applause.
He finally laid the groundwork for victory with his hitting. In the top of the second with a 1-0 lead there was a two-out, runners on first and third chance. Facing LG starter Tolhurst at a 2-2 count, he lightly drove a 153 km/h fastball to produce a hit that squeezed between first and second. It was his first hit and his first RBI. When Kim Ho-ryeong laid the stepping stone, Harold Castro hit a two-RBI double and Kim Do-young hit a two-run homer, leading to a five-run big inning. They seized momentum at 6-0.
KIA led 5-0 in the opening game against SSG but the late-inning bullpen collapsed and they suffered a 6-7 walk-off comeback loss. In the second game they suffered a shocking two-game losing streak as Lee Eui-ri and Hwang Dong-ha combined for a poor showing of 10 runs allowed. The mood sank and the losing streak could have continued into the game against champion LG, but they secured their first win. Kim Ho-ryeong served as an important link on both offense and defense.
In three games he is 1 for 12, a .083 average. However, he drew one walk in each game, scored three runs and added an RBI, showing some contribution. Having prepared extensively, he is expected to show offensive production as well. Now that he has met free-agent requirements, if he posts full-time numbers he will naturally be treated as irreplaceable. A pleasant spring breeze is blowing through the Ho-ryeong zone.
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