“All I got was a fungo.”
Samsung Lions catcher Kim Jae-seong (27) recently embarked on an unintentional ‘affair’. Kim Jae-seong had a different experience starting as a first baseman for two days in a row on the 18th following the Suwon KT Wiz match on the 17th.메이저놀이터
He was Samsung’s superpower to strengthen their offensive power. Samsung recently came up with a trick to put all three catchers into the game by using Kim Jae-seong as first baseman while contemplating how to use three catchers with good hitting feel. Defensive coach Son Joo-in recommended Kim Jae-sung to be first baseman, and Samsung’s special lineup was established with a confident answer to Park Jin-man’s question, “I will defend first base.” In preparation for Oh Jae-il’s absence, he had been training first base defense for several days.
Kim Jae-seong himself was embarrassed by the sudden appearance. Kim Jae-seong said, “My coach, grandson Joo-in, told me to take a fungo, and I received a fungo in the infield a few days ago. He wasn’t even talked about playing first base. However, he was surprised to see the starting lineup the day before yesterday (16th). At first, he thought he had misspelled (Kim) Jaesang. I was dazed and nervous,” he recalled.
Kim Jae-seong (right) and Kim Tae-gun (center), who started together on the 18th. Courtesy of Samsung Lions
Kim Jae-seong confessed that he had never seen first base defense throughout his amateur days. He only alternated between pitcher and catcher, and this was the first time he played first base in a game, both professionally and in his baseball life. He said, “It was the first first baseman in his life, and it was really hard. It’s a position that seems easy to look at, but I quickly felt it as I tried to prove it wasn’t. (First baseman) I thought his older brothers were amazing,” he shook his head.
It was his first appearance at first base in his life, but Kim Jae-seong was relatively solid and defended first base well. Manager Park Jin-man, who watched the game on the 17th, said, “Kim Jae-seong was good at defending first base. It was my first time, but it was relaxed, and I would have been confused about the direction the ball was going, but after the first game, a sense of stability stood out,” praised first baseman Kim Jae-seong.
However, Kim Jae-seong said that he played the game in a state of tension. There was advice from people around him to ‘be comfortable’, but he didn’t listen. Rather, he refuted, saying, ‘It’s an important match, how do you feel comfortable’. In addition, Kim Jae-seong’s catch mistake that led to a tie at the end of the game on the 16th was more memorable and nerve-wracking than a successful defense. He blamed himself for not receiving a throw from third baseman Kim Young-woong in the second out third base situation, which he faced in a one-point lead situation.
In order not to repeat the same mistake, Kim Jae-sung focused on the game the next day and focused again. In the game on the 18th, the game ended with a scoreless score. He said, “It was an awkward position, so even if I focused, it wasn’t easy. Still, it was a little helpful to prepare while imagining the situation, such as the hitting ball and the throwing ball position,” he smiled brightly.
It was awkward in defense, but in offense, the team swung the fire bat as they wanted. Following 3 hits in 4 at-bats on the 17th, he went 2 hits in 4 at-bats and 2 RBIs in the game on the 18th, continuing his sense of hitting. In the game on the 18th, where all three catchers participated, Kang Min-ho and Kim Tae-goon combined for 7 hits and 3 RBIs, leading the team to a 7-5 victory. It was a game where Kim Jae-sung’s performance shined.
However, Kim Jae-seong shook his head. He said, “It’s fortunate that good results came out,” and said, “I will continue to focus harder and play to help the team (whether at first base or catcher),” he said, reaffirming his determination.