"He hits too well; hit it just enough!" Park Jin-man is on high alert against Kim Tae-gun, who swings a fiery bat whenever facing Samsung

*This content was translated by AI.

"KIA is truly difficult. No matter who steps up, they all hit well. It doesn't matter whether it's the top or bottom of the lineup."

Park Jin-man (50), manager of the Samsung Lions, expressed his frustration ahead of this season's particularly challenging matchup against the Kia Tigers. This season, Samsung has recorded five wins and nine losses against KIA, placing them in a clear disadvantage. In particular, he even made a lighthearted joke about catcher Kim Tae-gun (37), who wields a fiery bat whenever facing Samsung.

Manager Park Jin-man met with reporters ahead of the home game against the Kia Tigers at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 8th. When asked about the difficult games they've had against KIA this season, he let out a sigh filled with deep emotion. Smiling in his characteristic way, Park said, "KIA is truly a tough opponent. We know their top lineup is strong, but even the bottom of the lineup has no weak spots because pitchers manage their pitch counts and allow them to get through about one inning comfortably."

In particular, the player Park singled out for special caution was catcher Kim Tae-gun. He specifically targeted Kim, who is usually placed in the lower part of the KIA batting order due to the team's relentless lineup rotation. Coincidentally, Kim Tae-gun was practicing catch drills during Park's interview.

Park's caution is well-founded. Kim has appeared in 12 games against Samsung this season, posting a .343 batting average (12 hits in 35 at-bats), one home run, and 11 RBIs, swinging a fiery bat. Every time he faces Samsung, his focused hitting has relentlessly troubled the mound of his former team. He is showing even stronger performance than this season's overall batting average of .268.

Manager Park remarked with a mix of laughter and complaint, "KIA maintains explosive power throughout their lineup, even down to the bottom. That guy hits too well. Kim Tae-gun, he's just..." before emphasizing, "Ultimately, how we contain Kim Tae-gun in the bottom of the lineup will be the biggest focus and turning point for today's game."

If they cannot neutralize Kim Tae-gun's bat, which has relentlessly shaken Samsung's pitching staff as much as the top lineup's destructive power, it will be difficult to even talk about revenge, let alone guarantee a victory. Manager Park Jin-man, keeping his guard up against KIA's flawless lineup, is zeroing in on Kim Tae-gun, the key player in the bottom of the order.

On this day, Samsung set their starting lineup against KIA's starter Shirakawa as follows: Kim Ji-chan (center fielder), Park Seung-gyu (right fielder), Koo Ja-wook (left fielder), Choi Hyung-woo (designated hitter), Diaz (first baseman), Ryu Ji-hyuk (second baseman), Kang Min-ho (catcher), Kim Young-woong (third baseman), and Lee Jae-hyun (shortstop). Lee Jae-hyun, who was hit on his left elbow by a fastball from Woo Kang-hoon in the Jamsil LG game on the 6th, underwent no hospital examination as there were no special concerns and completed all normal training sessions today.

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*This content was translated by AI.