"I've never been this bad." Kim Jae-hwan, who was criticized and transferred, finally laughed... "I like it so much" with "Literature Run". Satisfied [the scene of Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

"I don't think there's ever been such a bad hit since the opening..."

It was also a big decision to leave the Doosan Bears for the first time in 18 years since their debut, but when they had no hits in 10 at-bats after the opening, they became more impatient. But a star was a star. He marked his first hit since transfer with a home run that sealed the game.

Kim Jae-hwan started as the fourth designated hitter in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League home game against the Kiwoom Heroes at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 31st and hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning by pushing Yoon Seok-won's 140km/h outside fastball with one out and runners on the first and second bases.

SSG, which won two consecutive games in Kim Jae-hwan's silence, won the game by the biggest margin since the opening with his cool shot.

He was drafted by Doosan in the second round in 2008, but had to spend a long unknown time. He became Doosan's main player in 2016, hitting 116 home runs for three years, starting with 37 home runs, 124 RBIs and 107 runs, and has become the league's most notable player with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs and more than 100 runs for three consecutive years.

Since then, there have been ups and downs, but they have rebounded with 29 home runs and 92 RBIs in 2024, with a batting average of 0.241 (83 hits in 344 at-bats) and 13 home runs and 50 RBIs in 103 games last year. It reminded me of the 2023 season, when I fell into my worst slump since 2016.

Nevertheless, Doosan reached out to the franchise star, but Kim Jae-hwan took on a new challenge. He was also criticized during the process. But it wasn't about money. Kim Jae-hwan was also well aware of public opinion. He apologized on his social networking service (SNS), but decided to change his uniform for a new start.

I sweated heavily from the spring camp for a change, but it didn't work out well somewhere. In the exhibition game, he only had a batting average of 0.214 (6 hits in 28 times at bat) and an on-base plus slugging percentage of 0.647 (on-base plus slugging percentage) and had no hits in 8 times at bat in the opening series.

On this day, he also swallowed his regret by stepping down with an infield grounder in the first two at-bats. Kim Jae-hwan, who scored his first RBI since moving with a sacrifice fly that tied the score in the bottom of the sixth inning, did not miss the opportunity that came in the seventh inning. With a 4-2 lead on the first and second bases with one out, he pushed the outside ball over the left fence.

Kim Jae-hwan, who I met after the game, said, "I thought, 'Oh, I'm in a hurry now' because I didn't get a hit. So I went in more comfortably with the thought that I shouldn't rush in even if I can't get a hit, but I'm very fortunate that the result was good."

Everyone said it was okay, but it was not easy to shake off the impatience. Kim Jae-hwan said, "My head says it's okay, but I felt like, 'I'm not okay.' Still, I think I tried not to get more urgent as I did, he said. "I don't think I've ever missed a hit since the opening like this, but since it's a new team, I keep thinking that I want to hit a hit as soon as possible." I made my own efforts to continue to erase that thought," he said.

The home run, which was recorded with a driving distance of 105 meters, hit the top of the fence and went over to the stands. Kim Jae-hwan, who felt burdened by Jamsil Stadium's wide outfield combined with poor batting, benefited from SSG Landers Field from his first home run, raising expectations for more home runs in the future.

Kim Jae-hwan said, "(The right moment) all I thought was, 'Please go, please move on.' "It was a little tight, so it was even more so because pitchers and fielders could go more comfortably if the result of a home run came out," he said.

Kim Jae-hwan was more happy than anyone else with a home run that completely blew the disappointment of his poor performance at the beginning of the season. "I was very, very relieved," he confessed.

Unlike Jamsil Stadium, SSG Landersfield is one of the batter-friendly stadiums. There was a long silence, but he hit a home run in three games and shared his heart's burden. Kim Jae-hwan said of his new home stadium, "I really like it. I have to play more games in the future, so I'm very excited about what will happen," he said.

Coach Lee Sung-yong, who knows that the mental burden is high, urged Kim Jae-hwan, saying, "Play comfortably." "The coach keeps saying good things on purpose and wants me to be comfortable," he said. "Even if I say that, I should be able to relax myself, but it's a new team and I want to show good performances in front of my fans, so I was greedy and had a hard time without realizing it."

SSG has players of similar age and style, including KBO's most home run hitter Choi Jung (518 home runs) and Han Yu-sum (212 home runs). If Kim Jae-hwan (277 home runs) is included, it will far exceed 1,000 home runs. Expectations are high for synergy with them. What Kim Jae-hwan saw and felt was their extraordinary attitude.

Kim Jae-hwan said, "I think (Choi) Jung, who hit so many home runs, and (Han) Yoo-sum and Eredia seem to focus a lot more on that at-bat than on home runs," adding, "I think my abilities come out there, and I think if I raise my concentration more at-bat so as not to fall behind, there will be a synergy effect together."

Taking advantage of the home stadium is a way to maximize efficiency for Kim Jae-hwan himself and the team. Kim Jae-hwan said, "Of course, both the team and myself have such expectations, but being greedy does not mean that it will come out as a result," adding, "On the contrary, I think it will be helpful for me not to be greedy and not to think about it."

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*This content was translated by AI.