*This content was translated by AI.
The Asian quota system newly introduced in the KBO League this season. And only the KIA Tigers selected a fielder, not a pitcher, among the 10 clubs. Gerid Dale (26) who invested a total of 150,000 dollars (about 226 million won) to recruit. However, Dale missed the opening game without getting on the ground even with a substitute.
KIA suffered a come-from-behind loss in the bottom of the 6-7 and 9th inning in the opening game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season against SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 28th.
After adding one more run at the top of the ninth inning, KIA seemed to be leading 6-3 and virtually solidifying its victory. But the closure that I believed collapsed.
Jung Hae-young collapsed with two hits, one walk, one strikeout, and three runs (three earned) without catching only one out count. Even Cho Sang-woo, who followed, was not responsible for any outcounts, and committed a wild pitch with one hit, two walks, and one run (one earned run) to end the game.
In fact, if the bullpen hadn't collapsed, it would be no exaggeration to say that KIA almost caught it. The batting lineup, which had a total of 12 hits, was also good. Castro played 3 hits and 2 points in 5 at-bats, while Kim Do-young, Na Sung-bum and Kim Sun-bin, who were placed in the clean-up trio, recorded multi-hits side by side. Yoon Do-hyun, Kim Tae-gun, and Park Jung-woo also added one more hit each to help firepower.
However, there was one person who went unnoticed. It was Dale. Dale was excluded from the starting lineup and started the game on the bench. Park Jae-hyun, Kim Kyu-sung, Park Jung-woo, Jung Hyun-chang, and Han Joon-soo were substituted, but Dale failed to get on the ground in the end.
Dale played in 11 exhibition games this year and posted a batting average of 0.129 (4 hits in 33 at-bats), two runs, one walk, five strikeouts, a slugging percentage of 0.129 and an on-base percentage of 0.156.
Prior to the game, Kia coach Lee Bum-ho said of Dale, "Park Min is in his best condition, so I decided to release him first. (Jung) Hyun-chang, Dale, and Min-i thought a lot about the three. As for Dale, his condition is not so good at the moment. Also, it can be a burden to yourself because it's the opening game. However, he said, "From the 29th, I'm going to check my condition normally and release it."
"Park Min has improved a lot in terms of condition and defense. He also considered such (defensive) aspects because James Nail will start. I think it's right to use a player in the best condition right now. Confidence has been gained by playing exhibition games. Of course, Dale was also very good when he practiced recently. However, I thought it wouldn't be bad to let them watch a little bit today because I haven't seen Korea's opening game yet. If the opportunity comes, you can use it as a substitute. We will see and judge according to the situation," he explained.
Dale is from Melbourne, Australia. In 2016, he made his professional debut at the Melbourne Aces of ABL in Australia. I also experienced the U.S. stage. After signing a minor contract with the San Diego Padres in 2019, he played a total of six seasons, including two Triple-A seasons. Last season, he joined the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Orix Buffaloes as a nurturing foreign player and played in 41 games in the second division alone, posting a batting average of 0.297, 35 hits, two home runs, and 14 RBIs and 12 runs.
He is a fielder who has been recognized for his ability to play for the Australian national team at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), which recently ended. It is clear why KIA recruited him. When Park Chan-ho, who had played as a built-in shortstop, moved to the Doosan Bears to become a free agent (FA), he was recruited to fill his gap.
He is evaluated as an infielder who can defend all positions in the infield, has a lot of experience, and above all, has stable defense capabilities. Will Dale be able to make the starting lineup in the match against SSG on the 29th. Then, what kind of performance will you show.
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*This content was translated by AI.
