*This content was translated by AI.
Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers) showed the same mind as Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers) in participating in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) tournament, which can be his showcase stage.
The KIA Tigers team left for Amami-Oshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, the site of the spring camp, through Gimpo International Airport on the 23rd. The KIA team passed through Tokyo and headed to Amami-Oshima on the 24th. Prior to the main team of the team, four foreign players, including coach Lee Bum-ho and the coaching staff, James Nail, Adam Oler, Harold Castro and Gerid Dale (Asia Quarter), entered Amami-Oshima first.
Before leaving the country, Kim Do-young emphasized in an interview with reporters, "Now there is no problem in training at all," and added, "I think I'll know when I play the game. I feel 100% for myself. I don't have any feeling about my hamstring, so I think it's very good," he said.
Kim Do-young returned home via Incheon International Airport on the 21st after completing the first off-season training for the WBC national team in Saipan, the U.S. North Mariana Islands, this month. When asked to pick the best-prepared player, national team coach Ryu Ji-hyun praised Noh Kyung-eun and Ko Woo-seok on the pitcher's side, and Kim Do-young on the fielder's side.
In addition, Noh Si-hwan, a competitor for the third baseman position in the national team, said, "(Kim) Do-young has a different physical ability. Looking at the elasticity, it doesn't seem to be human. Just by looking at the batting, his size is smaller than mine, but he hits farther. Whenever I see something like that, I become respectful. I came to admit that he was different from me and that he was good at it. Even if he's a junior, he's a really cool player."
In response, Kim Do-young said, "I haven't shown you anything, but I'm really grateful that you said it in a good way. He also showed humility, saying, "I think I'm very happy that you said that among exceptional and outstanding players, and I think it's more an honor for (Roh) Si-hwan to say that."
On this day, Kim Do-young seemed to have lost a little weight compared to the past. "I've lost a lot of weight in the offseason. I lost about 4kg of weight. As I kept doing aerobic exercises such as running, I had to run. As a result, I lost weight even if I kept eating," he explained.
"I feel satisfied because I think I trained very well in Saipan. When I go to Japan, I want to do a lot of technical training. I think I ran enough running. Now, I think we need to focus more on these areas, such as short distances, and so on," he said.
He also expressed his determination to participate in the WBC competition. Regarding stolen bases, Kim Do-young also said, "I think it's strange not to go to the WBC and play like crazy X. As a national team member, if you don't run around in such a position, I don't think so. I think we should play as smartly as possible according to the situation," he said.
WBC is a competition where the best baseball players from all over the world gather. Ohtani's remarks made headlines ahead of the final against the U.S. at the 2023 WBC tournament held in March 2023. At the time, Ohtani said in front of the players gathered in the locker room, "I'll tell you one thing. Let's not yearn for the U.S. on this day. Goldschmidt is at first base, and Mike Trout and Mookie Betts are in the outfield. It's a name that everyone has heard while playing baseball, so let's throw it away for one day. If you yearn for America, you can't go beyond it. We came all the way here to beat them, to be number one. Let's give up our admiration for them and think about victory," he said, giving a deep resonance. In the end, Japan beat the U.S. to win the championship.
Kim Do-young was on the same page. "I also watched the World Series very impressively, so I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "But when I go to the WBC, I will think I'm a player in the same position and play. That way, we won't be discouraged and we will play what we can. Of course, it's amazing, but I'm looking forward to it," he said, renewing his determination.
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*This content was translated by AI.
