The toughest player in the offseason of the 2023-2024 SSG was catcher Kim Min-sik (35). There were many difficulties during the free agent (FA) qualification event that he acquired for the first time in his life. On the contrary, things did not go well enough that club officials felt sorry for Kim.유흥알바
Kim Min-sik, who decided to sign the contract and joined the first camp in Florida, tried to look cheerful. However, he could not hide the shadow of his face. He was quiet and focused only on training. However, he failed to make the opening entry and faced another difficulty. He seemed to have won a place in the first team in the KBO League, but he returned to the second team in his mid-30s. The team gave first opportunities to veteran Lee Ji-young, who was recruited, and Cho Hyung-woo, who is picked as the team’s next catcher. Kim was the third option.
He was cool-headed, but it was also a reality. However, Kim Min-sik, who already firmly established himself in the trials of winter, did not falter and continued his second team career. “I was not very disappointed. I had expected it to some extent,” Kim said of the shocking elimination of the opening entry after the match against NC in Incheon on Tuesday. “I think that’s why it was more comfortable to accept.” He was well aware of the dynamics within the team. He also knew that if you work hard, you will have only one chance.
He did not droop. He trained diligently as if nothing had happened in the Futures Team (second division). “I thought I had to do well in the second division to have a chance,” Kim recalled. “I tried not to droop and work hard in the second division as well.” Kim said, “Whether or not a chance comes, I don’t know what will happen to a person. I just thought of working hard in my given position.”
There is no one who should reject a sincere player. Those who know his personality helped Kim Min-sik, and he recorded a batting average of 0.316 and an on-base percentage of 0.458 in 19 Futures League games, silently waiting for an opportunity to come someday. Kim was right. The opportunity came in early May. SSG, which was agonizing over how to use Cho Hyung-woo, posted Kim Min-sik to try to find an alternative. And Kim took the opportunity nicely,
Kim Min-sik is also active in offense, sharing a catcher’s mask with Lee Ji-young after a first-team call-up on May 9, posting a batting average of 0.333, six RBIs and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.891 in 20 games this season. In the match against NC in Incheon on the 22nd, he also contributed to his team’s 12-4 victory by performing well with two hits, one walk and one RBI from four times at bat, including a double.
▲ ⓒ SSG Landers Kim Min-sik helped the team win a great victory by recording a good pitching lead and batting performance against NC in Incheon on the 22nd
Rather, Kim Min-sik knows SSG pitchers better than Lee Ji-young. Kim Kwang-hyun’s quality start pitching in the sixth inning was also attributable to Kim. “On the day Kwang-hyun throws, I think that even if he does not win, the team should win the game. I was able to play a little comfortably because they gave me a lot of walks and scored points in the beginning,” Kim said. “Even though Kwang-hyun hyung felt that today’s fastball was weak. So I suggested changing the pattern to focus on the ball coming in well. That’s how I got the hang of it later.” Kim said he was able to boldly transform the ball because he had held Kim’s ball for a long time.
Kim Min-sik, who is active in both ball and water, humbly said, “I don’t participate often because I have Ji-young. That’s why I’m always okay with my physical strength. That’s why I feel like I can hit one every time I go out and play good games.” However, testimonies from people around me are not the case. They say that the current performance is possible because the 2nd team prepared diligently. After winter, spring comes, and it opens more warmly to those who have prepared. Kim Min-sik, who sincerely overcame the season of ordeal, is welcoming spring again in his capacity.