It's only for Kim Hyesung! Only once did ABS fail, Roberts said, "The challenge didn't work there." A local reporter also said, "It was reckless."

*This content was translated by AI.

The head coach was simply cold-hearted. Kim Hye-sung (27, LA Dodgers), who is struggling to survive in the Major League, was saturated by local media and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts for a single error of judgment. It is being evaluated somewhat harshly for reading ABS (automatic pitch judgment system).

Kim Hye-sung started the home game against the Texas Rangers at the Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on the 13th (Korea time), but received a painful report card of no hits and one strikeout in two at-bats and a pinch-hitter replacement in a chance situation. Gyeonggi also lost 2-5, failing to sweep three consecutive games.

Above all, the "arrow" directed at Kim Hye-sung after the game was directed at the "finger," not his bat. Kim Hye-sung, who was struck out by a low slider from opposing ace Jacob deGrom in the bottom of the third inning, trailing 1-2, immediately applied for the ABS challenge. He was a confident gesture, but the reading confirmed that the ball was superbly placed on the bottom of the zone and the initial decision was not reversed and was confirmed as a strike.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made an unusual criticism for this single failure. According to the Dodgers Nation, Roberts openly complained about the ABS reading question about Kim Hye-sung in an official interview after the game, saying, "We shouldn't have used a challenge there." In the top of the third inning, Dodgers Dalton Rushing used one ABS reading opportunity in Loki Sasaki's ball decision, so he blew all the challenge opportunities of two regular innings at Kim Hye-sung's request.

Local reporters also reacted harshly. Dodgers reporter Jack Harris of the California Post pointed out on his SNS, "Kim Hye-sung's challenge was reckless and inappropriate," adding, "We exhausted all the opportunities that could have been needed to determine Sasaki's ball."

From Kim Hye-sung's point of view, it would be somewhat unfair. He played a vital role in the team's offense by hitting one hit, one walk, and one stolen base from three times at bat on the previous day (12th). Although the sample is somewhat small, some say that it is too harsh to make a "reverse" move against a player who has a good batting average of 0.308 (4 hits in 13 at-bats) and an on-base percentage of 0.412 in six games, including the results of the game on the 13th. On this day, the Dodgers were tied to Texas pitchers, including deGrom, the opponent's starter, who pitched well with four hits and one run in six innings.

But the big league was a place to speak as a result. Roberts did not hesitate to remove Kim Hye-sung and put in pinch hitter Miguel Rojas when a chance to score with one out and second base came in the bottom of the seventh inning, trailing 1-3. Attention is focusing on whether Kim Hye-sung will be able to regain trust by overcoming the cold gaze of the head coach.

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*This content was translated by AI.