“We need to become stronger. As a professional player, we need a stronger mindset that we will not be defeated by anyone.”
This is the message that Doosan Bears coach Lee Seung-yeop left to outfielder Kim Dae-han (23), who ended the season last month after performing below expectations. Kim Dae-han made a name for himself as a promising pitcher during his time at Whimoon High School. As a pitcher, he threw a 150km fastball and was so talented that he was the 4th hitter for the youth national team, so he wore the Doosan uniform as the first team member in 2019. The club tried to develop Kim Dae-han as a pitcher first, but he revealed that he wanted to focus on being a fielder and has been playing as an outfielder since then.
In his professional career, Daehan Kim has not been able to fully reach his potential. His power is real, as you can see from the occasional home run he hits, but he still doesn’t seem to know how to use his talent. He has yet to establish himself as a backup, with no season in which he has played more than 70 games for the first team. His first-team career records include 103 games played, a batting average of 0.203 (39 hits in 192 at-bats), an on-base percentage of 0.284, a slugging percentage of 0.349, 5 home runs, 18 RBI, and 27 runs.
Now he can’t even afford to leave to cool his head. Daehan Kim has already completed his military service by enlisting on active duty during the 2020 season. It was a decision made under the belief that it was a priority for both the player and the club to relieve the pressure of being selected in the first round. Daehan Kim raised his expectations by recording a batting average of 0.240 (23 hits in 96 at-bats), 4 home runs, and 11 RBIs in 51 games last year after returning from discharge.
When Coach Lee Seung-yeop took charge of Doosan ahead of this season, he focused on the young fielders that needed to be fostered, and was impressed by Kim Dae-han’s batting talent on several occasions. If Daehan Kim develops into a key outfielder, he could continue the tradition of Doosan’s famous baseball skills.
But an injury blocked his path. Daehan Kim was unable to unravel his tangled thread as he left the team at the end of the exhibition game due to a fractured metacarpal bone in his right hand. Coach Lee also felt very sad because his batting performance was so good during spring training and exhibition games. Daehan Kim finished the season in the second team after hitting only 0.198 (16 hits in 81 at-bats), 1 home run, and 7 RBIs in 33 games this season. His postseason entry was unexpected. As soon as Kim Dae-han finished his Futures League schedule, he headed to the Miyazaki Educational League in Japan. In the instructional league, he was injured in a collision with infielder Jeon Min-jae while playing defense and had to return home early for treatment. The year 2023 was not going well for him in many ways.
Coach Lee gave a general review of Kim Dae-han’s year last month, saying, “The injury was the first reason, and after the injury, he came to the first team and did not show himself well. He was unable to maintain the good balance he had during the camp. Every year is precious. “A year has already passed. The player himself is sad and regretful, and we are also disappointed that the performance we expected from Kim Dae-han has not yet been achieved,” he said calmly.
He continued, “I need a little stronger mind. I served in the military, and I think I’m still young, but in the pros, age doesn’t matter. Who can play or not play depends on who does well. As a professional player, I have a strong determination not to lose to anyone. This is necessary. He must have a strong mind not to miss the opportunity once he gets it. It is true that he is still weak and lacks first-team experience. He is a player with ability, so now it is up to him to show it. We are here to help. “The mission ends here,” he added, looking forward to breaking out of the egg on his own next year.
Doosan has failed to develop fielders in general, including Daehan Kim, this year. Among young players who played less than 70 games in the 2022 season, the only player who played more than 70 games this year is infielder Lee Yu-chan (104 games). Lee Yu-chan started the season as the opening shortstop, and as his stamina declined in his first full-time season, he moved to second base and did his part again, but from the second half of the season, both batting and defense fell apart, leaving behind disappointing results. Shortstop Ahn Jae-seok, another anticipated first-round pick, also ended the season early after struggling with injuries and poor performance.
At the end of his first year at Doosan, Coach Lee said, “The players performed worse than expected, with younger players popping up than expected. If a few more young players step up, it will be a boost of energy. Next year, we must immediately create power resources.” .
Rather, the players who were classified as below-strength during spring training left an impression on coach Lee. Infielders Park Jun-young and Park Ji-hoon are the main characters. Park Jun-young came to Doosan as a compensation player for catcher Park Se-hyuk, who transferred to NC Dinos as a free agent ahead of this season, but he was rehabilitating after undergoing shoulder surgery at the time of the transfer, so it was difficult for him to join from the opening. Park Jun-young joined the first team in July and showed many possibilities in batting and defense. In 51 games, he recorded a batting average of 0.228 (29 hits in 127 at-bats), a slugging percentage of 0.417, 4 home runs, and 17 RBIs, and his batting average in scoring range was 0.310, making an even stronger impression. He played third base and shortstop and played defense without making any major mistakes.
Park Ji-hoon is a promising infielder who was selected by Doosan in the second 5th round of the 2020 rookie draft. He is a player who was highly evaluated by former Doosan coach Kim Tae-hyung (current Lotte Giants coach) to the point of being included in the 2021 Korean Series entry. He realized the high barrier of prominent seniors such as Kim Jae-ho and Heo Gyeong-min, and after finishing the 2021 Korean Series, he enlisted in active duty and was discharged in June of this year. Since August, he has been given the opportunity to play in the first team, recording a batting average of 0.211 (4 hits in 19 at-bats) and 2 RBI in 22 games. He finished the year by appearing as a substitute in the first game of the wild card match against NC Dinos on the 19th, recording 1 hit and 1 RBI in 1 at-bat.
Coach Lee was satisfied, evaluating both Park Joon-young and Park Ji-hoon as “players who we are looking forward to next year.” It was hoped that if the two players prepared for the season step by step starting from spring camp, they would be able to inject good tension into next year’s infield.토토사이트
If Park Ji-hoon and Park Jun-young stand out in the infield as desired, it is important for Kim Dae-han to occupy a spot in the outfield. With starting outfielders Kim Jae-hwan and Su-bin Jeong entering their mid-to-late 30s, it is time for a young outfielder with more skills than a backup to emerge. Along with Kim Dae-han, Kim In-tae, Jo Su-haeng, Kim Tae-geun, Yang Chan-yeol, and Song Seung-hwan are steadily challenging to become starting outfielders, but no player has yet won the title. Attention is being paid to whether Daehan Kim will be able to signal the revival of Doosan Hwasubun baseball next year, his 6th year as a professional.