Doosan Bears veteran shortstop Kim Jae-ho (38) often hears from fans recently, “Please don’t get old.” After graduating from Joongang High School, Jaeho Kim was called a ‘genius shortstop’ when he joined Doosan as the first pick in 2004. In his 20s, he struggled for a long time as a backup because he was blocked by a big wall called Siheon Son, but after leaping to the starting lineup in 2014, he established himself as the representative shortstop who led Doosan’s golden age. He is one of the few left in Doosan, and he is also the driving force behind the championship in 2015, 2016 and 2019.
However, his last two seasons have not been very good. He had a batting average of 0.212 (92 hits in 434 at-bats), an OPS of 0.565, 45 RBIs, and 49 runs scored in 191 games across 2021 and 2022. As the number of days when he was put into the game as a substitute instead of a starter increased, he made small mistakes that were not like Kim Jae-ho in defense. After signing a 3-year, 2.5 billion won free agent contract with Doosan ahead of the 2021 season, the voices of the fans were not good. There were also fans who remembered Kim Jae-ho in his heyday and cheered, saying, “Please don’t get old.”
Kim Jae-ho said, “It’s a bit embarrassing” when asked not to wear out. He met with reporters at the Blacktown Baseball Stadium in Sydney, Australia on the 6th and said, “In a way, he must have said that because he was sorry. He carefully opened his mouth.
He continued, “When I say that the defense of the team has weakened when there is me and Kyung-min Heo, I feel like, ‘Isn’t it only you who do well and don’t take care of your juniors?’ The defense was at the top, but it came down to the bottom for the first time last year. That’s why my friends only want to participate in the attack and don’t think about the defense. When I was the captain, I was really sensitive when there was a mistake in defense. That’s why the importance of defense is so high. emphasized,” he added.
I hoped that my juniors would grow faster so that they would no longer remember ‘Kim Jae-ho in his heyday’ when the Doosan defense was faltering. Kim Jae-ho said, “The main players should instill the importance of defense in their juniors. Instead of making a mistake and saying, ‘Oh, you can do better next time’, you should practice like a real game. I hope you have that sense of responsibility.”
Kim Jae-ho said he would reflect on himself and change. In this spring camp, when Kim Jae-ho warms up before training, he stands at the forefront and shouts “fighting.” It is one of the ways to keep a promise.
Kim Jae-ho said, “It’s to keep my original intention. I’m getting older, so I’m not going backwards. If I move a little from the front and fight, the juniors will do a lot. After last season, I talked with my teammates while eating. ‘Last year, I did a lot of backwards. I’m sorry I’m out of it. I should have said a little more bitterly and praised you guys for the team, but I couldn’t. From this year, hyung said, ‘I will take the lead in saying bitter things’. I’m practicing and working hard.” built
Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop emphasized that Kim Jae-ho’s role is important for the team’s strength to grow. Coach Lee said, “Jae-ho Kim’s role is important. You can’t play the game with only young players. Even if you can’t make it to the starting lineup, you can even provide a great defense in the second half of the game. I have. If you act as a mentor to the young players, the team will be better.” 카지노사이트
Kim Jae-ho said, “As a result, there is no starting shortstop right now. That’s why you said that. Someone needs to become the team’s starting shortstop to stabilize the team. The most important position is to have a player, but if it keeps changing, the whole team will be shaken. As you know, the center When the line is strong, the team becomes strong. Someone has to hold their place, but that’s not possible now. The team itself is shaking. Until the young players become the starting liners, I have to be able to compete. I need to be able to compete with them so that my juniors can grow quickly. He seems to want a helper.”
In this camp, Lee Yu-chan and Ahn Jae-seok are training as shortstops with Kim Jae-ho. Kim Jae-ho emphasized, “I’ve improved a lot, but both players have fewer games. As a result, it’s experience. You have to experience a lot, and to do that, you have to become a starting shortstop. You have to experience a lot to grow.”
Kim Jae-ho said that as it is the last year of his contract, he wants to do his best to pour everything so that there are no regrets left. He replied cheerfully, “I try to do it without regrets. When I retire, I regret it unconditionally. I want to make that regret as little as possible. I haven’t decided what I will do after I retire. I will leave then. He seemed to be smiling.