“I should improve every time I practice, but I thought I was getting worse.”
Samsung Lions infielder Kim Ji-chan (22) recorded a batting average of 0.292, 85 hits, 1 home run, 18 RBIs, and 59 runs in 99 games this season. Even if there were aftereffects from participating in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, Kim Ji-chan, who spent time in the second team due to injuries and poor performance, had a season with less than 100 games for the first time since his debut.
Ji-chan Kim, whom we met at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 24th, said, “I feel like I didn’t play baseball this year, perhaps because I wasn’t able to play much in the second half of the year. “It’s good to win a gold medal at the Asian Games, but I’m still very disappointed,” he said.
Kim Ji-chan, who recorded a batting average of 0.284, 60 hits, 1 home run, 10 RBI, and 45 runs in 62 games in the first half, stayed at a batting average of 0.313, 25 hits, 8 RBI, and 14 runs in 37 games in the second half.
He was disappointed with his injuries this season, but his mistakes were also disappointing. He committed 16 offenses. Although it is a small number compared to 19 (120 games) in the 2021 season and 22 (113 games) in the 2022 season, the games played are different. In particular, in the game against the Busan Lotte Giants on the 28th, there was a dizzying moment when he committed 3 errors in one game.
Kim Ji-chan said, “At that time, I made a big mistake at Lotte Jeonseo and received a lot of calls. Of course, I was contacted by the team members, including (Lee) Won-seok and (Park) Hae-min, who were at Samsung, as well as NC (Park) Min-woo. He feels grateful. “It helped me a lot,” he said.
He continued, “At that time, Wonseok comforted me by saying, ‘It’s a mistake to have to play hundreds more games in the future while playing baseball.’ Haemin said, ‘You are a mentally strong child, so you will be able to overcome it.’ I thought I was mentally strong, but I think I faltered a bit this year. Still, I think there is a meaning to everything that happens. “I want to become stronger,” he said with a smile.
The Hangzhou Asian Games, in which he participated despite injuries and ups and downs, brought a lot to Kim Ji-chan. He played as a substitute member and added strength to Ryu Joong-il’s 4th consecutive victory. In addition to receiving military service benefits, the time spent with players from other teams was an invaluable time for Kim Ji-chan.
Ji-chan Kim said, “Everyone worked hard with one goal and achieved good results. The best players in our country were selected, and their attitude toward baseball was truly unique. “He thought, ‘I’m not good at it for nothing,’” he said.
He said, “(Choi) Won-jun shared a room with his brother. Previously, the team hyungs who were at the managing director talked a lot about Wonjun. He found a lot of help by talking about baseball. It was nice to see Hyeseong (Kim) taking care of himself and exercising hard, and Baekho (Kang) showed me videos of other players and told me to follow them. “It was a good time for me,” he added.
Ji-chan Kim will participate in the 2023 Samsung Finishing Camp held in Okinawa, Japan starting on the 27th. Training is expected to be more intense than ever before with a 25-day, 24-night schedule. What Ji-chan Kim focuses on is defense.
Kim Ji-chan said, “My problem has always been defense, this year as well. I should improve every time I do it, but I feel like I’m getting worse. It is true that he lost confidence every time he made a mistake. “At the beginning of this year, I was confident and relaxed about my defense, but in an instant, my confidence plummeted,” he said. “But I think there must be moments like this in order for me to play baseball for a long time and get better.” I think it’s all experience. I will train hard with the manager and coach. “There is no other way than to do it well,” he said emphatically.메이저사이트
Lastly, Kim Ji-chan said, “I want to have an injury-free season next year, not only in terms of defense. My back and hamstrings hurt again this year. It seems like every time I do an interview, I say that I don’t want to get sick. In fact, I think injuries are inevitable even if you manage them. No player will be sick because they want to be sick. “I want to take good care of myself and have an injury-free season next season,” he pledged.