Kang Baek-ho’s Explosion Has Survival Marriage Effect among 2 FA

Kim Tae-yeon started as the first designated hitter against LG in Daejeon on the 21st and hit a solo home run that ran away 3-0 in the third inning. He pushed a 144km/h fastball that came high outside the opponent's starting pitcher Casey Kelly's third pitch to decorate it with a superior solo shot.

It was his fourth home run of the season with a driving distance of 110 meters. It was his 19th home run in his career, and his first time to push to the right.

It was a home run that showed how good Kim's batting performance was. Thanks to Kim Tae-yeon's performance in the fourth and eighth innings, Hanwha won 8-4 and achieved its second consecutive win in 51 days after winning seven consecutive games against KT in Daejeon on March 31. It created an opportunity to rebound from the sluggish atmosphere.

On the same day, Hanwha's captain Chae Eun-seong overcame a back sprain and returned to the first team entry, but Kim Tae-yeon was not excluded. No, I couldn't take it out. Except for foreign hitter Jonathan Peraza, the team could not bench the best hitter in his team. As Chae Eun-seong went to right field and An Chi-hong went to first base, Kim Tae-yeon played as the designated hitter.

In 34 games this season, Kim has a batting average of 337 percent (29 hits in 86 times at bat), four homers, 18 RBIs, 14 runs scored, 15 walks, 12 strikeouts, and an on-base percentage of .447 OPS.994. Among 84 hitters who did not make the mandatory at-bats, Kim ranked fifth in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, 10th in slugging percentage, and fourth in OPS. He has displayed tremendous batting productivity by posting OPS, which is higher than that of KT's Kang Baek-ho (.977), who has revived by tying for first (14 homers).

In the early days of this season, Kim Tae-yeon had limited chances to play as a starting pitcher or substitute for left-handed pitchers, but he proved his value by hitting while Chae injured his back this month following his finger last month. His positions continue to change to first baseman, second baseman, right fielder and designated hitter, but he has become a fixture in the batting lineup. He survived between Chae Eun-sung and Ahn Chi-hong, the big-money FA duo that split the positions of first baseman and designated hitter, and secured his own position.

Despite limited chances to play in the field, Kim remained focused. "I try my best to do what I can. From the moment I practice, I focus a little more on one ball. As I maintain my concentration one by one, I think I am doing well in the game," Kim said. "I tried to pull the pace fast (to do well from the beginning), and I was lucky in the early days of the season. As the result came out, I gained more confidence, which is leading to good results."

The ABS (automatic pitching judgment system), which was introduced this year, is also working in Kim's favor. "The referees are also suffering, but as a human being, they can judge a ball as a strike and a strike as a ball. As ABS makes regular decisions, it divides balls into balls that I can hit, not balls that I can hit. As a result, the number of strikeouts has decreased, and the zone has become clear. When I throw out my bat, I only hit the ball that I think I will get hit, but most of them are strikes. Although ABS is said to vary from stadium to stadium, if you pay attention to everything, you can shake your mind. I don't care about those things as much as possible," Kim explained.

As his own zone became clear, his strikeout rate (11.5 percent) and swing and miss (6.6 percent) decreased to the lowest level in his career. As he began to endure low balls, his walk rate (14.4 percent) increased to No. 1 in his team and sixth in the league. This is why Kim's performance is unlikely to end temporarily.

Although she got married last winter, it was worth preparing hard enough to stay in Daejeon and continue her sports to focus on the preparation for the season. "I can't say that I got a good result because I didn't go on a honeymoon, but I think the heaven would have liked that kind of mindset," Kim Tae-yeon said. "It also has the effect of marriage. It is because my wife cared for me and helped me so I could focus on baseball."

"Right now, I am not in a situation where I have to go out to cover my batting order or anything. If I can play in a game, I have to go out somehow," said Kim, who has played in six of the recent seven games as the first hitter. "I'm hitting well right now, so it's better to go in at least one more at-bat. I'm not aiming for records or numbers wherever I go," Kim said. "My goal is to show as good performance as possible every time I play without getting hurt in the rest of the season."

BY: 스포츠토토