A player who has to play shortstop in the future
“Kim Doyoung, a player who has to play shortstop in the future.” Kim Jong-kook believes in this huge talent that met the mountain
Ahead of the match against Lotte at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 13th, KIA had to think about who to put as the starting shortstop. Park Chan-ho (28), the main shortstop, injured his fourth left finger while sliding headfirst at first base the previous day (12th).
Damage to the ligament was found beyond the sprain. It’s a hand with a glove, so you can pay for it or rent it. But it is hard to hit. It is difficult to start Park Chan-ho unless he gives up his at-bat. A new shortstop was needed. KIA coach Kim Jong-kook and KIA coaching staff chose Kim Do-young (20) in his second year. He played as a starting shortstop against Lotte on the 13th, and although it was not held due to rain, Kim Do-young was also the starting shortstop against Lotte in Gwangju on the 14th.
Kim Do-young boasted such an outstanding talent that he was called the “second Lee Jong-beom” in high school. It was widely evaluated that he had explosive athletic ability in both air and sea. It was also an ability from the shortstop position, which has the largest proportion of defense in the infield. There was a reason why KIA gave up Fireballer Moon Dong-joo (Hanwha), who can throw in the mid 150km/h range, and chose Kim Do-young.
However, after joining the pro league, he did not have many opportunities to play as a shortstop. This is because Park Chan-ho’s defense and experience were judged to be a step ahead of Kim Do-young. Kim Do-young played 407 innings as a third baseman and 160⅔ innings as a shortstop last year. This year, Kim Do-young was absent due to injury for a long time, and crucially, Park Chan-ho played a big role in both offense and defense, so he had no chance to enter the shortstop position. He played 472⅔ innings at third base, but played only nine innings at shortstop.
It’s a position I’ve played in high school, but professionals are different, and I’ve lost a lot of touch for two years, so it may feel unfamiliar. Of course, he is not a player whose defense has been proven in the professional shortstop position. Ahead of the Lotte match on the 14th, head coach Kim also said, “I saw shortstop defense in high school, but defense seems to be insufficient. “I admit Doyoung’s ability, but there is a little lack of coping,” he said honestly. This means that there is definitely a wall to overcome.
However, coach Kim is also looking forward to it. His defense has not completely healed, and he lacks experience, but with this huge talent, he expects that he will be able to easily overcome this crisis. The fact that he started the game on the 13th symbolizes that the KIA coaching staff is the most reliable shortstop at this point.
Coach Kim emphasized, “DOYOUNG is also a player who should be a shortstop in the future.” Now Park Chan-ho is in good shape, but the age of the two players is eight years apart. It is a well-known fact that Kim Do-young is the No. 1 player who will succeed Park Chan-ho in the future. It is also an ideal picture that KIA dreams of.
Head coach Kim said, “I don’t have enough experience with shortstop, but I think he will cope well because he is such a good player,” and cheered Kim Do-young, saying, “His condition is okay overall.” He also expressed his thoughts that he was not worried about the rest of the team except for defense. Head coach Kim said, “I think I’ve also adapted to the opposing pitchers. The same is true of batting speed, regular batting, and base running,” he said, predicting that defense is the last key.
Third baseman and shortstop have different defensive burdens. Shortstop is also relatively strong. As the difficulty of defense increases, the player’s nerves are naturally dispersed. The probability that mistakes in defense will affect the attack also increases. “300 shortstop” is not difficult for no reason. Perhaps the burden of defense will increase, affecting Kim Do-young’s good offensive productivity. However, in order to play as a shortstop someday or to get the opportunity to be verified as a shortstop, it is a mountain to overcome and a task to overcome.
If Park Chan-ho plays well in the shortstop position until he returns, it is a “step-up” in itself. Players can also gain confidence, and the club’s future infield management will gain momentum. Park Chan-ho, who has a wide range of defense and does his best on base, is a style that consumes a lot of energy. As you get older, you need to take care of it a little more to maintain freshness. It is important for Kim Do-young to gain experience while covering the break. Looking at the long-term future, it is also a way to revive the value of Park Chan-ho and Kim Do-young as well as the club.
In the first game on the 13th, he only received a grounder from Yoon Dong-hee in the first inning. It wasn’t a hard hit. Coincidentally, there was no situation to experiment with Kim Do-young’s defense in the game. It can be said that some luck followed in the game that would have been tense. There may be a crisis, but on the contrary, it is also an opportunity to test Kim Do-young’s star quality. Attention is focusing on whether KIA will be able to welcome Park Chan-ho’s return with both the present and the future. 스포츠토토