"Kim Do-young 40-40? I'm blocking you!" It's the last home game, so the left-hander A.C.E's passionate commitment
Sep 27, 2024
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Will Kia Tigers' Kim Do-young's 40 (homer)-40 (homer) challenge become a reality.
The team has already won the regular season. You can concentrate on Kim Do-young's personal record with ease.
This season's batting average is .353 with 107 RBIs and 1.077 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) and 40 steals. Kim Do-young's impact this year is all-time. The prevailing view is that senior Lee Jong-beom exceeded 1994 or 1997.
Eric Thames (then NC Dinos) was the only player in professional baseball history to achieve a 40-40 monument in 2015. In addition to 47 homers and 40 steals, Thames bombed the league in all directions, with a batting average of 381, 140 RBIs and OPS of 1.287, beating Park Byung-ho with 53 homers, and was recognized as the league's manager.
The 30-30 that Kim Do-young has already achieved is also the first record in 23 years as a native hitter since Park Jae-hong (then Hyundai Unicorns) in 2000. Analysts say that the season MVP candidate's trophy has also been effectively inscribed.
Most Valuable Player rival NC Dinos Kyle Hart recently suffered a slump and injury. Samsung Lions Koo Ja-wook also had the best year of his life, raising his team to second place in the league. However, considering that Kim Do-young's strong performance led his team, KIA, to the Korean Series, it is difficult to compare.
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Kim Do-young has only two titles this season. He scored 146 points, which set a new professional baseball record, and a slugging percentage (656 percent, second place Koo Ja-wook 628 percent).
In addition, they are third in the most hits (186; first-place Reyes 198; second in home runs (38; first-place Davison 46); eighth in RBIs (107; first-place Austin 131); and second in on-base percentage (421, first-place Hong Chang-ki 446).
OPS is No. 1 over Koo Ja-wook (1.046) and Davison (0.993), but OPS is not in the KBO Awards category.
Kim Do-young, who has already hit 40 steals, received a 'strike ban' from KIA manager Lee Bum-ho, who was concerned about his injury. Instead, it is being placed as a leadoff, and is pushing hard by considering it to enter as many at-bats as possible. As Kim Do-young, he also needs to complete 40-40 and mark the peak of the hot year.
KIA will end the regular season after playing the Daejeon Hanwha Eagles on the 27th, the Busan Lotte Giants on the 28th, and the NC Dinos on the 30th.
However, Lotte will not avoid the villain that blocks Kim Do-young's challenge to the milestone' is a commitment. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung predicted ace Barnes as the starting pitcher against KIA, saying, `The starting rotation will continue as it is.'
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Then "I will stop (Kim Do-young's 40 home runs) unconditionally." Please keep an eye on him," he said, strengthening his will with a clenched fist.
This is Lotte's last home game this season. Unless it is decided whether to renew the contract next season, it may be the last meeting with fans for Barnes. Barnes is determined to repay Lotte fans' support throughout the year with good pitching.
The two players have had three hits, one walk, and six strikeouts from 18 times at bat, giving them an absolute advantage. Kim has only one hit from eight times at bat this year, when Kim Do-young spent the Monster season.
However, that one hit was a home run launched by Kim Do-young on August 22. Will Kim Do-young produce another miracle or will Barnes respond to home fans with a wonderful greeting.
lunarfly@sportschosun.com
