“I’m so honored (to be selected) and I’m going to showcase myself to the whole world”.
Kim Do-young, a second-year infielder for the KIA Tigers who has been hailed as the “next Lee Jong-beom,” expressed his excitement at being named to the national team.
Kim, who joined the KIA last year after graduating from Dongseong High School, batted .224 (53-for-53) with three home runs, 19 RBIs, 카지노사이트 37 runs scored and 13 stolen bases in 103 games.
He capitalized on the experience of his rookie year and stepped up his game this season, batting .333 (103-for-340) with seven home runs, 47 RBIs, 72 runs scored, and 25 stolen bases in 84 games despite a brief hiatus due to an unexpected injury.
“I’m very honored (to be selected) and I’m going to come and showcase myself to the whole world,” he said of his selection to the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) at the Tokyo Dome in Japan, which begins on April 16. “I want to come and do something big, so I want to hit in the big moments.”
As for facing Japanese pitchers, Kim said, “My teammates told me to come and play against Japanese pitchers once. I’m curious to see what they’re like. I watched them on video this time, and the ball was really good. I want to hit it once,” he said.
The batters on the APBC team watched Kim’s batting practice and commented on how different it was
Kim humbled herself by saying, “I was selected (for the national team) because all the players here are very talented.”
Kim, who hasn’t won a tournament since her professional debut, is aiming to get back on top this time around. “I heard that the players from Australia, Japan, and Taiwan are all very good, but I’m here to win,” he said emphatically.
Reflecting on the season, Kim humbly said, “I think we’ve definitely improved in terms of numbers, but there are still too many regrettable moments during the season, so I think we’re not good enough.”
“I’m still thinking about it, and I’m thinking about what I need to do in the offseason,” said Kim, who saw the benefits of weight training with teammate Na Sung-bum.
“My goal is to improve my overall performance every year. This season, I hit a lot of pitches that hit the top of the fence, and next year, I will prepare well so that I can hit them all (over the fence).”