'It's a good speed to hit an average 143km home run...' Kim Do-young's 40-40 club final challenge begins. The expected home run innings are in the 1st and 5th innings
Sep 30, 2024
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KIA Tigers' 「Baseball Genius」 Kim Do-young will take on the last challenge to join the 40 (homer)-40 (stealing) club for the first time as a Korean batter.
Kim Do-young, who surprised baseball fans by showing a long-shot power beyond Essang this season, will end the season in second place in home runs this season. Naero hit more home runs than any other home run hitters. As he hit a lot of doubles and triples with his fast feet, his slugging rate was naturally the highest.
As he succeeded in stealing a lot with his fast feet, he achieved 40 steals against the Gwangju Samsung Lions on the 23rd. He hit his 38th home run that day, leaving only two home runs at the 40-40 club.
Although there are only five games left, expectations were high that baseball could hit more than two home runs in one game, so it would be possible to achieve a record at any time. Since he has already won the regular league, he was able to hit for his record without burdening his team's performance.
However, there were few home runs. As the first batter, he went to 18 at-bats in four games, but he recorded six hits in 16 at-bats, and there was only a catch while flying to a home run.
As a result, he couldn't reduce one by the final game against the NC Dinos in Gwangju on the 30th, and played his last game at home with 38.
Still, swinging with the support of 20,500 home fans as he takes the last challenge at his most comfortable home will be a good memory for KIA, Kim Do-young and fans, regardless of whether he achieves a record or not.
Still, if you have hope, Kim Do-young hit the most home runs with 16 in Gwangju. He hit four home runs against NC. He hit the most home runs against Hanwha with seven, and hit five each against KT, SSG, Samsung, and Kiwoom. He hit three home runs each to LG and Lotte, and hit the fewest home runs to Doosan with one. NC didn't hit that many home runs.
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The innings in which you can expect a home run from Kim Do-young are in the first and fifth innings. He hit the most home runs in the fifth inning of this season with eight, and the second most in the first inning with seven. Kim Do-young, who hit six in the third inning, five in the seventh inning, and four in the fourth and sixth innings, recorded three in the ninth inning and one in the eighth inning, and failed to hit any in the second inning.
Even if it was limited to Gwangju, the most anticipated innings were the first and fifth innings. Kim Do-young hit four home runs in the bottom of the first and fifth innings in Gwangju. Kim Do-young, who also hit three home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, hit two in the bottom of the fourth inning, one in the third, seventh and eighth innings, respectively. There were no home runs in the bottom of the second and ninth innings.
Will Kim Do-young be able to overcome the burden of achieving a record and achieve a new record. Kim Do-young has hit so many home runs without being greedy for home runs. His home run with greed was a solo shot against Kim Sun-ki in the top of the fifth inning against Gocheok Kiwoom on April 25. At that time, Kim Do-young said he wanted to hit a home run because he had only one home run left in the monthly 10-10 club, and he actually hit a home run and made the record his own.
Many Korean baseball fans, as well as KIA fans, are cheering for Kim Do-young's 40-40 record. Just as Lee Seung-yeop of the Samsung Lions hit his 56th home run in Asia under enormous pressure in 2003 to become the best hitter, Kim Do-young also hopes to overcome the pressure of the milestone and achieve a record to become the best hitter to lead Korean baseball.
Winning or losing the game doesn't affect the team either. four to five at-bats given as the first batter. It is an opportunity to not come back to swing only for Kim Do-young herself.
indyk@sportschosun.com
