How can this be a great rebellion of Lotte-born trade transfer students, and going to King Kang School's second-tier camp is unusual

Feb 17, 2025

Kim Min-seok (left) and Choo Jae-hyun, who were traded from Lotte Giants to Doosan Bears in November last year. The two players are shaking the game of Doosan's spring camp. Photo courtesy = Doosan Bears

Doosan Bears rising star Kim Dae-han was notified of his trip to the second-tier spring camp. Photo courtesy = Doosan Bears

The Doosan Bears' left field competition is unusual. Trade transfer Kim Min-seok and Choo Jae-hyun from Lotte Giants are bringing tension to Doosan's outfield.

Doosan returned home to Incheon International Airport after the first spring camp in Sydney, Australia on the 16th. From the 26th to the 15th of last month, the camp was held at Blacktown Ballpark in Sydney, Australia, focusing on physical and tactical training, and started to pick the best seats.

Doosan will leave for Miyazaki, Japan, the second spring camp training site, on the 18th, and there were people eliminated from the first spring camp. Outfielder Kim Dae-han, infielder Kim Dong-joon, and pitchers Kwon Hwi and Kim Moo-bin were informed to move to Miyakojima, Japan, the second-tier spring camp training site. Coach Lee Seung-yeop and other coaches decided that it would be better to move to the second division and get more basic than the second spring camp, which is mainly conducted in practice.

Kim Dae-han's elimination drew the most attention. Kim Dae-han drew attention as a promising pitching player during his time at Hwimungo. As a batter, he was the fourth batter of the youth team, and as a pitcher, he threw a fastball over 150 kilometers per hour and was classified as the biggest fish in high school. Doosan has been raising Kim Dae-han as a batter since its first nomination in 2019, continuing its below-expectations with 164 games in the first division, a batting average of 0.184 (49 hits in 267) and six home runs and 25 RBIs.

Kim Dae-han visited Kang Jung-ho's batting lesson center in Los Angeles, USA, which has recently become famous among KBO players, determined to rebound this year. As Kim Dae-han has been pointed out that he has no hit on his own, he has made full-scale batting modification, and in Sydney, he spent time establishing his hit based on what he learned from Kang Jung-ho.

However, coach Lee and other coaches judged that Kim Dae-han's one month in Sydney was not enough to fully establish his new batting. Rather than starting the actual game too soon and hitting neither this nor me, I wanted to be a little more relaxed and find my own hit.

Doosan Bears Chu Jae-hyun (right). Photo courtesy = Doosan Bears

Doosan Bears Kim Dae-han. Photo courtesy = Doosan Bears

To be a little cold, it also means that Kim Dae-han is not in a hurry to Doosan's outfield right now. The big frame of center fielder Jung Soo-bin and right fielder Jake Cave is not expected to change. Kim Jae-hwan plans to split his playing time as a left fielder and a designated hitter, so young outfielders are currently in fierce competition to occupy the left field.

Cho Soo-haeng, last year's steal king and this year's reserve FA, is also difficult to guarantee a starting player. Both Kim Min-seok and Choo Jae-hyun, who were acquired in a trade with Lotte in November last year, received very good reviews during the month they spent in Sydney. Choo Jae-hyun showed off his best pace by winning the Sydney camp fielder MVP. It raises questions about how the variables of Kim Min-seok and Choo Jae-hyun, which emerged this year, will play a role in the left field competition.

Regarding the competition in left field, head coach Lee said, `Although Cho did well last year, there is nothing lacking in batting average or on-base percentage last year in order for our batters to become stronger. Kim Min-seok and Choo Jae-hyun are here, and Kim Dae-han and Jeon Da-min are also here. Kim In-tae is waiting here. After checking through spring camps, exhibition games, etc., the team will select the players who can be the strongest."

Candidates for the left field have scattered to Miyazaki and Miyakojima, but they will all gather in one place when they play an exhibition game next month. The exhibition game is actually the final audition. Attention is focusing on whether trade transfer players will continue to lead the left field competition atmosphere or whether Kim Dae-han will be desperate to write a reversal drama.