I'm going to play like Yamada, but I'm going crazy. Why did Kim Ho-ryeong think of Kim Ki-tae 10 years ago
Jul 08, 2025
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In the winter after the end of the 2016 season, Kim Ki-tae, who led the KIA Tigers at the time, talked about one player, saying in a thick dialect "You can't even hit the ball." I'm going to go crazy." and chuckled.
The player Kim talked about was Kim Ho-ryeong. It was after finishing his second year of college. After many twists and turns, he wore a professional uniform. He was drafted by KIA in the 10th round in the 102nd round of the last rookie draft in 2015. Since Dongguk University, outfield defense has been at a professional level, but his ability to be selected in the previous round has not been recognized. Hitting was the problem.
However, batting expert Kim did not underestimate Kim Ho-ryeong's bat. If only the bad parts are corrected, I saw the batting as a player who could work in the professional league. First of all, it had punch power. So, believing in that possibility, he allowed a college outfielder who was selected in the 10th round to play 103 games in his debut season. Usually, the coach doesn't coach the players well, but Kim did his best to Kim Ho-ryeong.
In the 2016 season, Kim Ho-ryeong was actually KIA's main center fielder. He played 124 games and 514 at-bats. a batting average of 267. He hit 121 hits, eight homers and 19 stolen bases. The defense showed the possibility of becoming a main center fielder if it left a little more impact on the hit 'perfect itself'.
When young players offer a chance for a season like this, they are bound to gain confidence. The problem is that the future can be completely different depending on how that confidence is 'expressed'. In the final training session after the season, Kim Ho-ryeong declared to Kim, `I will transform into Yamada.' Tetsuto Yamada. He is recognized as the best second baseman in Japanese professional baseball, and he rose to stardom in 2014 by hitting 38 home runs in his third year as a professional. Since then, he has achieved 30-30 homers and 30 steals 'Triple 3' three times, and is the best slugger in Japanese baseball history. He is an impressive player who does not bring the head to the back in the batting preparation position, but has a vertically erected form.
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Coach Kim also could not give such a chance to Kim Ho-ryeong. On top of that, KIA achieved an integrated championship in the 2017 season. Choi Hyung-woo, Bernardina and Lee Myung-ki's outfield was solid. In particular, Lee Myung-ki, who came as a trade at the beginning of the 2017 season, completely changed the topography of the outfield. If Kim Ho-ryeong had shown stable growth in the offseason and reassured Kim, would the trade have been made. In this way, one's fate can be changed. KIA became the winning team, and manager Kim later put down the baton. That's how Kim Ho-ryeong became a player who was forgotten.
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It is a message that can resonate not only with Kim Ho-ryeong but also with other young players. You can think that you are the best, and you can think that your baseball philosophy or method is unconditionally correct. Recently, I have relied more on academy tutors. But leaders are not the ones who are trying to ruin a player's career. It is important to keep in mind that the advice of seniors who have added baseball for as little as a decade or as long as decades can completely change their baseball lives.
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This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
