"'Your eyes are outstanding' completed infield rebuilding in the first half of the year! Coach Kim Tae-hyung still has 'Hidden Card'
Jul 03, 2024
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It's 'Kim Taehyung Magic'. The Lotte Giants infield has changed dramatically in the first half of the year.
The appointment of players who do not care about their name value and bold positional changes led to a 'jackpot'. Ko Seung-min's transformation to second base, Son Ho-young (trade) Choi Hang (second draft), and veteran Jung-hoon's use of third base have made a series of fruitful results.
However, repeated injuries to players are a problem. In the case of infield, Son Ho-young is out with a second hamstring injury. His absence as a clean-up trio is painful, recording the most home runs in the team with eight home runs despite his high batting average of 328 and below the regular at-bats.
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However, after taking charge, the overall stability, such as batting judgment, ball handling, and throwing, stands out. In addition, Jung Hoon-like clutch ability was added, and he took the main third base without Son Ho-young.
Tested repeatedly throughout the first half. In the second division, players with good evaluation were placed in the first division and examined them themselves. In addition to veterans with good basic skills such as Kim Min-sung, Lee Hak-joo, and Oh Sun-jin, he paid particular attention to young players.
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Recently, coach Kim Tae-hyung brought out one more player who pointed out, "(Kang Seong-wu is okay, too)." He is a rookie from Cheonggo High School and joined the fifth round (43 times overall) this year. His performance in the Futures League has a batting average of 2.32 (on-base plus slugging) of 0.542, or 16 hits in 69 times at bat. Currently, his focus is on defense and running base, rather than hitting.
He is tall at 1m84 and stands out for his sharp movements, but the number of days he registered for the first team this year is only 11. He has been registered in the first team three times, and has played only two games and two at-bats.
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However, in the meantime, there was a part that caught the attention of the head coach. Head coach Kim Tae-hyung added the premise that "'cause he's not going to be the main player right now anyway.'"Kang Sung-woo is young, but his eyes are different. There is a part that can be developed. Most of all, he is quick on his feet."
"You need to have the basics, but Kang Sung-woo has a lot of things. A player like that definitely improves quickly."
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lunarfly@sportschosun.com
