“Isn’t baseball life short? I want to do well. I want to be remembered as a player who made fans laugh.”
Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop was surprised at the Sydney spring camp. This is because Kim Jae-ho (38), the oldest infielder, went through training without talking, just like the fresh young juniors. It is said that Doosan’s Sydney camp had a lot of training.
At the arrivals hall of Incheon International Airport earlier this month, director Lee Seung-yeop said, “I was surprised to see Jae-ho. He trained just like his juniors. The seniors did the night training on their own, but they came out the same and digested everything. He was amazed at his passion and dedication.”
In his prime, Kim Jae-ho was evaluated as not lagging behind any other shortstop in terms of defensive stability. But he, too, goes downhill little by little as he gets older and his motor skills decline. He had a batting average of 0.209 in 89 games in the 2021 season and a batting average of 0.215 in 102 games in the 2022 season. He hit 16 home runs in the 2018 season, but he only hit 8 over the next four years. His RBIs were also a career high of 75 in 2018, and have continued to fall since then.
Now, I am in a position where I cannot guarantee the start. The former manager attempted a natural rebuild by employing a lot of young central infielders, but their growth was slow. In fact, this is not like water flowing overnight. One of coach Lee Seung-yeop’s tasks this season is to build a solid central infield and present a blueprint for the future.
Anyway, Doosan still needs Kim Jae-ho’s presence. Kim Jae-ho said at the arrival at Incheon International Airport at the time, “I didn’t want to miss the training. He wanted to work hard. Does he not have much time left in his baseball life? he wants to do well He wants to show off good energy and positive energy on the ground.” In this demonstration game, 7 at-bats, 1 hit, batting average of 0.143 in 4 games.
Kim Jae-ho was the starting shortstop for the Doosan Dynasty in the mid to late 2010s. He was the main player in winning the Korean Series in 2015-2016 and 2019. “I still want to be remembered as a player who made fans laugh. On the one hand, he was criticized for laughing, but in the end, baseball is about playing baseball for fans. He’s wanted to do well for a long time, but it’s not easy. Still, as a member of a team that has won three championships, he has the desire to show a good image.” 안전놀이터
It is difficult for all professional sports players, and I want to decorate the end with a smile. Of course, you don’t want to show your weak side to your juniors, and you want to spend a season that is understandable to yourself. That’s how I gritting my teeth and digesting training from Sydney.
Kim Jae-ho said, “My body is the best when I look back on the past three years. I wanted to find confidence through this camp, but I think I came back after finding it. The skills of young friends are increasing, so you have to be nervous. This season, we need to become a team with strong defense, not a team with many errors.”
Doosan has not played fall baseball for the first time in eight years since 2014. Kim Jae-ho said, “It was empty because I fell in love with the festival. During this time, he was supposed to be playing baseball, which was awkward. I couldn’t get used to it because I had a long break. I want to participate in the festival again this season.”