 |
| 사진=김용 기자 |
|
"This is something I have to admit. It's also an opportunity to work harder."
KT Wiz advanced to the postseason for the fifth consecutive year until last year, including an integrated victory in the 2021 season. It is difficult for anyone to easily refute that KT is in the ranks of strong teams.
There must have been several players' performances at the center, but Lee's credit should not be ignored. This is veteran infielder Kim Sang-soo.
Ahead of the 2023 season, he left the affectionate Samsung Lions by signing a four-year FA contract worth a total of 2.9 billion won. And he is still playing as an indispensable key at KT. It's hard every season. Shortstop and second baseman continue to move back and forth. Instead of creating a position centered on Kim Sang-soo, Kim Sang-soo will place other players first and fill the empty spots between shortstop and second baseman. This is possible because of the trust of head coach Lee Kang-chul. No matter where you put it, you have confidence that you will play your role enough, so you can continue to play as a main player without a fixed position.
 |
| Photo courtesy=KT 위즈 |
|
Last year, he also played shortstop, and Shim Woo-joon was discharged from the military and had to move to second base. This year, Shim Woo-joon moved to Hanwha Eagles as an FA, so he has to go to shortstop again. In the meantime, Hwang Jae-kyun is likely to work as a shortstop. You may have to compete. As a veteran player, it can hurt your pride.
But Kim Sang-soo doesn't care at all. Kim Sang-soo made the decision when he transferred from Samsung to KT, thinking that he could play more in two positions, whether he was shortstop or second baseman. Rather than sticking to one position, I thought playing multiple positions could be my strength. I tried to think positively, rather than hard. When I was young, I played only shortstop, but now I've played second base for a long time, so both positions are good. There is nothing very difficult or difficult about it. I don't care about any position for the team."
 |
| Photo courtesy=KT 위즈 |
|
Kim Sang-soo says his friend Heo Kyung-min came to the FA and he loves it. However, Heo Kyung-min is going to third base, and as mentioned above, Hwang Jae-gyun, the existing third baseman, is training shortstop. Kim Sang-soo said, `Competition is a given in professional competition. Jae-gyun also performs outfield training. It's because they're accepting competition. Seeing my brother who is 3 years older than me working hard like this, I also think a lot. There has to be competition to be a strong team. I think I'd be more proud if I won there. I'm confident."
In fact, Kim Sang-soo was sad every time he signed an FA contract. When he became the first FA qualification during his Samsung years, he stamped his seal for three years and 1.8 billion won. In 2019, the FA market was also a cold wave, and Kim Sang-soo, who was so good at it, was because his performance fell sharply ahead of the FA. Even when he came to KT, he wasn't 'Awesome'. Oh Ji-hwan (LG), An Chi-hong (Hanwha), and Huh Kyung-min (Doosan), who were the youth team's colleagues and infielders 4Cheonwang, earned more than 10 billion won in FA contracts alone. That doesn't mean Kim Sang-soo's contribution to the team is significantly lower than those of them. His performance is consistent, and as I said, his attitude of dedication to the team is very good. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that 'ultra-cost ratio' is an FA resource.
 |
| Sportschosun DB |
|
Kim Sang-soo responded to this by "This is something I have to admit. In my early 20s, I was good at baseball. But it wasn't good ahead of the FA season. Still, I worked hard without getting frustrated, so I think I was treated well by KT. So even now, I never neglect to exercise. Because I think if I work hard, I'll have another opportunity. What's gone is gone. This year is my 17th year as a professional. There are not that many days left to play baseball. I want to wrap it up without regrets"He expressed a firm determination.
 |
| Photo courtesy=KT 위즈 |
|
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
