"The 52nd successor? More earnestly baseball like a crazier man" ...Put down the 'genius shortstop' glove
"The 52nd successor? More earnestly baseball like a crazier man" ...Put down the 'genius shortstop' glove
Blog Article
If there is one word that is only found in baseball, it is "sacrifice." Sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly ball are the process of sacrificing one's at-bat to produce results for the team. According to official records, the at-bat is omitted from the batting average. This is the beauty of baseball, which reflects the value of sacrifice.
There was a player who stood out the most in the record related to this sacrifice. It is Doosan Bears' "genius shortstop" Kim Jae-ho.
Kim Jae-ho decided to retire from the professional league with the end of the 2024 season. Kim Jae-ho ranked sixth in the KBO league with 79 sacrifice fly balls. Kim Jae-ho also ranked 40th in the KBO league with 105 sacrifice bunt records. He can be called a "sacrifice master" and a "sacrifice master."
Kim entered Doosan Bears as the first designated player in 2004. However, it took a long time for Kim to blossom. Kim, who was the backup for nearly 10 years under the shadow of Sohn Si-heon, then the main shortstop, became the main shortstop in earnest starting in the 2014 season.
Kim Jae-ho played in 133 games in the 2015 season and achieved his first full-time season with a batting average of 0.307, 126 hits, three home runs and 50 RBIs. In the 2016 season, Kim Jae-ho won the Golden Glove in the shortstop category by leading the team to victory for two consecutive years with a batting average of 0.310, 129 hits, seven home runs, 78 RBIs, an on-base percentage of 0.389, and a slugging percentage of 0.440.
Kim Jae-ho also contributed greatly to his team's third win in the 2019 Korean Series by batting .364, four hits, three RBIs, three walks and four runs. He also showed strong performance in big games with a batting average of .421, eight hits, one home run, seven RBIs and four walks in the 2020 Korean Series.
In the final years of his career, Kim added his name to the postseason starting shortstop by showing stellar performance in the second half of the 2023 and 2024 seasons. As such, it was not easy to remove Kim's name from the Doosan Bears shortstop position.
Kim Jae-ho recorded 1,793 games, 1,235 hits, 54 homers, 600 RBIs, 661 runs, 581 walks, 79 steals, 0.356 on-base percentage and 0.366 slugging percentage. He played in 1,793, the most games played in Doosan's franchise history (1,716 games). Kim also held most of Doosan's records including hits, RBIs and home runs.
The following are the questions and answers about Kim Jae-ho and his retirement from active duty.
-How is winter out of baseball after 21 years.
I wonder how I can be so stressed out (laughs). Over the past few years, I have been working out to strengthen my shoulder rehabilitation every winter. I thought, "If I can't hold onto my shoulder, it will be over," and I don't have to worry about it anymore. Now I am using my shoulders to carry my family's burden or to carry my children (laughs).
-I felt like I didn't have any regrets in the process of retiring.
To be honest, I don't have much regret and regret. After pain in my shoulder, I think I had more difficult time mentally than I thought. In the professional world, where poor performance is subject to criticism, it was not easy to prepare every year while feeling sick. In fact, I feel more relieved. He won the Korean Series three times and won the national team (2015 Premier 12), and more importantly, he ended his career by wearing the Doosan Bears uniform as a one-club man.
-In the second round of the wild card game, did you feel that it was your last at-bat.
At that time, I already thought I should quit, so I had a hunch to some extent. Rather than being disappointed that I couldn't get a hit in the last at-bat, I was a little disappointed that I took off my uniform without playing in 1,800 games and achieving 1,500 hits.
-He was also a player who received attention for his record of sacrifice fly ball.
Since a long time ago, he purposely aimed for a sacrifice fly ball rather than anta in the opportunity to score third base. As time passed, people around him told me that he is a master of sacrifice fly ball. Personally, I think each team's batting lineup has a role to play. Wouldn't it be also an ability to be able to do it when you need sacrifice for your team.
-Should I say that I pushed it on purpose.
Sometimes I was pushed out (laughs). When I was young, I used to practice pushing out on purpose. I will create an imaginary wall when I hit in the old style. Recently, he naturally drags the swing trajectory to make a swing to the left if the swing is hit in front, the center if the swing is hit in front, and the right if the ball is hit in the middle or late if the swing is hit in the middle. In our time, many people made orders to push out the body as well.
-He was a player who showed so-called BQ not only in batting but also in defense.
After all, I think that the player who catches quickly, in every situation, is good at baseball. When you have to be aggressive, you have to be aggressive, and when you have to watch, you know how to watch. If you play defense for a long time, you have a hunch that a strange situation will come. At that time, there is a complete difference between a player who prepares for such a situation and a player who just catches and throws.
-Since a few years ago, he has continued to emphasize the importance of defense rather than hitting young infielders.
Recently, young fielders have not been able to show their concentration and head fight at bat in defense. You shouldn't just think of things like, "Would the ball come to me or not?" and "I hope the ball doesn't bounce." You should continue image training considering numerous probabilities including the game, the runner's situation, and the opponent's tendency to hit the batter. In baseball, you should show your concentration on the ground for at least three hours every day for six days a week. You have to play baseball with your head wide awake all the time to be different from other players. 토토사이트
-Should I say that he is born with the technique of taking the ball out of his glove right away.
At first, I grabbed and threw like other players. Then, I gained confidence in defense and learned such skills. I have said countless times, but since I was young, I have practiced more defense than hitting. You have to build up that much effort to create your own. In case of Ahn, he tried to learn the technique from the beginning without such time. As he feels in a hurry to lose weight, more mistakes will come out. Not only when you do it quickly, but when your lower body steps are stabilized, the ball will fall out like that, but you still don't have enough time to feel that.
-Was Ahn Jae-seok so eager to resemble a role model.
When I first saw Jae-seok, I thought of myself as a child and rated him very highly. But his physical strength was a disadvantage. Basic physical conditions are good, so I think he will become a better shortstop if he builds up his strength.
-After all, who will be the 52nd successor? (After the interview, news was reported that rookie infielder Park Joon-soon wore his uniform number 52 in 2025)
When I was young, I used to wear No. 6 for one reason or another when I was in high school. I wanted to wear a different number because I already looked dwarfed by wearing No. 6. When I saw No. 52 turn into a heart one day, I thought I should wear No. 52, so I kept using that number. To be honest, I don't know if it's a good number (laughs). Still, I wish a greedy player would wear that number. Wouldn't he be a player who will overcome it without paying attention to others? It's important who desperately acts like a crazier person.