First-team call-up day, final two-run hero…149km fastball no problem, Kiwoom “I’m comfortable with whatever the outcome is,” says 25-year-old infielder

“I focused on the idea of ​​handling the ball well in front of me.”

Kiwoom Heroes infielder Kim Soo-hwan 메이저놀이터 (25) was named to the first team entry ahead of the 13th game of the season against the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League Samsung Lions held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 25th. He was his fifth first-team call-up this season.

Kim Soo-hwan, who played in 38 games before the game and had a low batting average of 10%, became the main character of the final hit that day. In the second inning situation with two out and second base, Samsung starter Taylor Widener’s 149km fastball turned into a home run. It is the second home run of the season, after a long time since the game against the LG Twins in Jamsil on June 7.

Starting with this home run, Kiwoom scored 8 hits and 6 points in the second inning alone, and took the win early. Kiwoom escaped a 3-game losing streak with a 7-4 victory.

After the game, Kiwoom coach Hong Won-ki praised, “Kim Soo-hwan’s two-run gun in the attack raised the atmosphere of the team’s batting line.”

After the game, Kim Soo-hwan said, “Since the first and second balls were all sliders, I thought it was the timing of the fastball. He looked back on the home run situation, saying, “I think preparing for a fast ball led to good results.”

Kim Soo-hwan is a backup member who goes back and forth between the 1st and 2nd divisions. In the Futures League, he is showing a decent performance with a batting average of 0.271, 29 hits, 8 homers, 33 RBIs and 24 points in 35 games, but he did not perform very well in the first team. He didn’t get a chance.

When asked how it felt to start right away on the day he was called up to the 1st team, Kim Soo-hwan said, “I came out with the idea of ​​making it comfortable no matter what the result is. He had a lot of defensive practice with defensive coach Kim Ji-soo at Futures. I concentrated on the thought of handling the ball in front of me well,” he said with strength.

“I came up to the first team in a losing streak situation, but I feel good to be able to contribute to the team’s victory. I will do my best to help the team as much as possible in the future.”