“I don’t really talk about baseball. I do it little by little, but I don’t usually talk a lot,” Kim said. “When the starting pitcher is announced the next day, they have conversations about how to play. I’m not digging very seriously, but I’m just talking lightly,” Lee Jae-hyun said. “Actually, I have nothing to say except baseball. Other than that, I just joke around.”
When delivering their statements to each other, Lee Jae-hyun asked Kim Young-woong, “Didn’t we talk about the starting pitcher? How can we hit the ball?” (Ricardo Sanchez of the Hanwha Eagles) Kim Young-woong did not have an easy answer.
They had a sharp confrontation on another topic. “(Lee Jae-hyun) sleeps an hour later than I do. He doesn’t put me to sleep often,” Kim Young-woong said. “He keeps saying he’s hungry and wants to eat something. He said he needs to fill his stomach to sleep. I don’t eat with him.”
Lee Jae-hyun’s counterattack has begun again. Lee Jae-hyun said, “No. (Kim Young-woong) also said he was hungry. I ordered shaved ice and it was better than mine.” He said early on, “Yesterday, you slept first. I never slept. I definitely fell asleep after watching him fall asleep first.”
Kim Young-woong, who was in a tight spot, said, “I’ll do what (Lee Jae-hyun’s words) are right.”
The two players who joined the team in 2022 are growing as the main players. Lee Jae-hyun, a graduate of Seoul High School, was nominated in the first round, and Kim Young-woong, who went through the water safe, joined Samsung as the third player in the second round of the same year.
Lee Jae-hyun, who was reborn as the main shortstop last year, underwent surgery after the end of the season. After suffering from dislocation of his shoulder, he underwent Tommy John surgery. Samsung coach Park Jin-man chose Kim Young-woong as shortstop to replace Lee.
Kim Young-woong, who entered his first full-time season as a starting member, has established himself as a mainstay of the batting lineup, boasting upgraded batting capabilities. He displayed his batting instinct as he was assigned to the centerline of the lineup. He has a batting average of 0.309 (29 hits from 94 times at bat), five homers and 15 RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 0.532 in a total of 24 games. He ranks third in batting average, second in hits, tied for first in homers, second in RBIs, and second in slugging percentage among the players who have met the standard number of at-bats in his team. His recent 10 games were even better with a batting average of 0.366 (15 hits from 41 times at bat), three homers and six RBIs.
Lee Jae-hyun also finished his recovery at a monstrous pace and joined the first team sooner than scheduled. He made his comeback against the NC Dinos on the 13th. He made a spectacular return with four hits and one RBI from five times at bat. He played four-hit games for the first time since his professional debut. Since then, Lee Jae-hyun has taken charge of shortstop and Kim Young-woong’s third baseman. Lee Jae-hyun has been batting hard with a batting average of 0.375 (12 hits from 32 times at bat), two homers and seven RBIs, and a slugging percentage of 0.625.
Lee Jae-hyun said, “I have no problem at all because it’s been a while since I raised my physical condition to 100%. The training coaches take really good care of me, so I’m in good condition. I’m not even tired,” adding, “I’m training, vowing not to swing too much into ridiculous balls and hit them accurately. If there is an A-class pitcher or a fastball pitcher, I don’t think he can apply it, so I try harder.”
Regarding Kim Young-woong, coach Park Jin-man said, “He is making a lot of good balls by swinging himself at the plate. It gives me faith that ‘this player can hit no matter what,'” he said. “I can see the pitcher’s confidence even before he throws the ball.”
Kim Young-woong smiled shyly, saying, “You have to be confident,” and then raised his voice saying, “I’m confident.”
Lee Jae-hyun and Kim Young-woong are considered representative runners who will take responsibility for the future of Samsung’s infield. “If we both do well, it will be good for both of us and the team. We have to do well together,” Lee Jae-hyun said. “We are grateful to those who evaluate us as the future. I don’t feel any pressure. I think we need to work harder and do better.”
” (Lee) Jae-hyun is a really good baseball player. There are many things to see and learn. I think it’s good for each other,” Kim said with a smile.
BY: 토토사이트링크