Lotte Giants outfielder Kim Min-seok.
‘Resignation idol’ Kim Min-seok (20, Lotte Giants) expressed his anticipation for the match against ‘legendary pitcher’ Ryu Hyun-jin (37, Hanwha Eagles), which can begin this season.
Kim Min-seok did not hide his excitement about meeting Ryu Hyun-jin in an interview held at Incheon International Airport after Lotte's spring camp in Okinawa, Japan on the 5th.
Ryu Hyun-jin, one of the best pitchers in Korean baseball, returned to the domestic stage after 12 years away from the major leagues for 11 years.
To Kim Min-seok, Ryu Hyun-jin is an object of admiration. When Ryu Hyun-jin played for Hanwha from 2006 to 2012, Kim Min-seok had not even officially started playing baseball.
Even when I was dreaming of becoming a professional baseball player on the school baseball team, the only way I could see Ryu Hyun-jin was in a major league game.
On his way to school at the time, Kim Min-seok cheered as he watched Ryu Hyun-jin's pitching, which overwhelmed big league hitters while wearing an LA Dodgers uniform. In particular, the scene where Ryu Hyun-jin hit a home run as a batter against the Colorado Rockies on September 23, 2019 still remains a strong memory.
It won't be long until Kim Min-seok sees Ryu Hyun-jin's ball at bat. Ryu Hyun-jin is scheduled to start in the exhibition game against Lotte to be held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 17th, and he could face Kim Min-seok, who was used as a table setter in the camp practice game, if he gets the opportunity to start.
He said, “When I was in elementary school, I went to school to see senior Ryu Hyun-jin pitching. He said, “It’s amazing that I get to play in the same KBO league as my senior.”
At the same time, he said, “Senior Ryu Hyun-jin will throw briefly (since it is an exhibition game), so I would like to ask (the coach) to start in that game,” and said, “If I can play in the game, I will try to hit well against senior Ryu Hyun-jin.” .
Kim Min-seok, who debuted as a professional last year, played in 129 games and achieved decent results with a batting average of 0.255, 102 hits, 3 home runs, 39 RBIs, 53 runs, and OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.652. As his position grew, he established himself as a starting outfielder along with Yoon Dong-hee.
Hanwha Ryu Hyun-jin is doing bullpen pitching at Akama Stadium in Okinawa, Japan on the morning of the 26th.
Minseok Kim said, “When you fall into a slump, you must be able to overcome it quickly and somehow. “To do that, I need to pay attention to my physical strength,” he said. “I don’t think I have a place until the opening game of the regular season.” “We have to compete until the end, and we will win,” he pledged.
In the exhibition game, I plan to focus on hitting timing. He said, “Even if I’m out, I have to hit the ball at my timing. “The hitting timing has changed frequently, but we will try to keep it consistent this season,” he said.
Lotte failed to continue its upward trend early last year and fell, eventually ending the season in 7th place (68 wins, 76 losses). Minseok Kim is dreaming of playing fall baseball in his second professional season.
He said, “I think about team performance rather than individual records, but the team performance can only improve if each player does well. That’s why I will try to do well,” he said. “We can’t win all 144 games.” Above all, we must quickly end and reduce losing streak. “The team atmosphere has changed a lot, with experienced seniors sharing know-how with juniors, so I don’t have to worry about that,” he said, expressing confidence in advancing to the postseason. 토토
Are you going back to school this year?""Yes.
"I'll give you my contact information, so contact me."
You'll get married soon, right?"
Should I go out with Yeon-na, too?"
Guni and Jeong Tae-nim are paying a lot of attention.
Hyunyoung, take good care of yourself.
