Resurrection after 7 years? Kim Tae-hyung-sik, last in the number of pinch hits, baseball of faith → There is no one to look forward to the 8 billion bat

Jul 17, 2025

Yoo Kang-nam is happy to hit a hit in the bottom of the second inning of the game between Doosan and Lotte at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium on the 8th. Busan = Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.07.08/

Lotte Giants and LG Twins at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 1st. Lotte Yoo Kang-nam hits in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs and runners on second base. Busan = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.07.01/

Lotte and KT held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 27th. Yoo Kang-nam hit a timely RBI single in the third inning. Busan = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.06.27/

65 pinch-hitters in the first half of the year. It's the smallest among the 10 teams.

Lotte Giants manager Kim Tae-hyung's mind was complicated throughout the first half. So many injuries were in the squad to say "it's the first time I've ever had a season like this while coaching"??E. Few teams have used non-mainstream players in the first team as widely as Lotte.

As a coach who reached the Korean Series for seven consecutive years during the Doosan Bears, he is confident in his eyes and has a high standard of judging players. If you don't meet certain standards, it's hard to even make it to the first team.

Instead, he has strong trust in the player he once trusted and used. Kim Kang-hyun, an unknown pitcher who turned from catcher, set foot in the first division in earnest when he met manager Kim Tae-hyung last year, and this year, he played as an all-weather yardstick and pitched 45 ⅓ innings in 43 games. He has already played nearly twice as many innings in the first half as last year (26 games and 25 ⅓ innings).

Rookie infielder Park Chan-hyung, a former foster player, is being actively used in the first team as soon as he penetrates the verification of Kim Tae-hyung. He hit a .395 batting average in 16 games, and he seems to have complied based on his youthful spirit in defense, which was said to be sloppy compared to the original hit. Once it is hit, he is giving it a chance by using it all over the third base, the shortstop, and the second base.

Lotte-KIA match held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 6th. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung is staring at the ground. Gwangju = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.7.6/

If so, what is Yoo Kang-nam like to coach Kim Tae-hyung who was a former "winning catcher8 billion catcher". Charlie is not in the eyes of the head coach who has lived watching Yang Eui-ji.

Still, they are making progress step by step. Despite the challenges of newbies such as information worker Son Sung-bin and Park Jae-yeop, his weight as a veteran was certainly recognized. Although he is disappointed in the defensive details after knee surgery, his ability to lead the game through communication with pitchers is different.

The progress in batting is also noticeable. Yoo Kang-nam had a batting average of 276, four homers and 23 RBIs in the first half, and an on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) of 0.802.

In the game between SSG and Doosan at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 21st, Doosan Kim In-tae hits a solo home run and shares joy in the bottom of the ninth inning. Jamsil= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.05.21/

It is the first time since 2018 (296, 19 home runs, 66 RBIs and an OPS of 0.860) that Yoo Kang-nam has exceeded 0.8, and only twice in 2017-2018 in his entire career. In particular, considering that 2018 was before the official ball of professional baseball was adjusted, the meaning of this season's performance is different, even though it is only 170 at-bats.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung does not use substitute. Many of the replacements are made as a means of rebuke in the defensive process. It's rare to use a substitute for a bunt.

Considering the first half of this year, when newcomers and non-mainstream players such as Jang Doo-sung, Kim Dong-hyuk and Han Tae-yang were active, they may actively use pinch hitters when necessary, but manager Kim Tae-hyung was different. He is the only team among the 10 clubs to have less than 100 pinch-hitters. The team that used the most pinch-hitters is the NC Dinos (123 times) and the team that used the least after Lotte is the LG Twins (103 times). The difference between the 9th and 10th places is much greater than the difference between the 1st and 9th places. He ranks seventh overall with a pinch hitter batting average of 2.24 percent.

Kim In-tae (Doosan, 39th inning), Choi In-ho (Hanwha, 30th inning), and Choi Jun-woo (SSG, 26th inning) have played the most at-bats this season. In particular, Kim In-tae (10 hits in 29 at-bats) and Choi In-ho (10 hits in 26 at-bats) have an impressive batting average.

What about Lotte. Among the 65 pinch-hitters, Yoo Kang-nam and Jung Hoon have received the most opportunities. Each played 14 pinch-hit at-bats. In other words, the two players account for about half of Lotte's replacement.

A game between the Doosan Bears and the Lotte Giants at Jamsil Stadium on the 6th. While Lotte's Yoo Kang-nam is warming up, head coach Kim Tae-hyung is in thought. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.06.06/

The odds are quite different, and Jung Hoon, the epitome of Lotte's pinch hitter, only had two hits in 14 at-bats. Yoo Kang-nam, on the other hand, performed like an Altoran with five hits and two home runs in 12 at-bats.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung even moved Yoo Kang-nam's registration for the first team ahead of schedule, saying, `There are no players to hit the bat.' In the second half of the year, Yoon Dong-hee and Ko Seung-min and Son Ho-young are all expected to return, but Yoo Kang-am's value remains in that he is a batter who can hit a home run.

How hot will Yoo Kang-nam's bat burn in the second half as the head coach expects. What is clear is that '8 billion catcher' is trying to overcome his shame and get closer to autumn baseball through his offense and defense performance. It is now necessary to distinguish it from 5 billion shortstop Roh Jin-hyuk and 4 billion pitcher Han Hyun-hee.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.