Kim Do-young's 40 home runs also surprised Park Jin-man: "Satoshi was throwing like a bullet, and the ball went over just as fast."

*This content was translated by AI.

Even the opposing dugout could not help but let out a mix of laughter and admiration. Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man (50) openly shared his candid and cheerful thoughts while reflecting on KIA Tigers' Kim Do-young (23), who made history with his 40th home run of the season, hit the previous day (8th) in Daegu.

Kim Do-young's long-awaited 40th home run of this season came during the bottom of the sixth inning of a matchup between the two teams held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 8th. With Samsung leading 4-1, relief pitcher Satoshi entered the game after starting pitcher Choi Won-tae took the mound. Kim Do-young stepped up to the plate. The outcome was decided in just one pitch. Kim Do-young immediately pulled a 149 km/h fastball right down the middle thrown by Satoshi on the first pitch. The ball soared with a liner trajectory and landed in the upper section of the stands behind left field, resulting in a 128-meter solo home run.

With that single swing, Kim Do-young achieved the monumental feat of becoming the first domestic batter in franchise history to hit 40 home runs in a single season, spanning from the Haitai era onward. This moment placed him on par with Tracy Sanders' record of 40 home runs in a single season set by the team in 1999. Had he hit one more, he would have established a new solo record, making this a historic milestone.

On the 9th, before the game, manager Park Jin-man met with reporters. When the topic of Kim Do-young's home run came up, Park broke into his signature hearty laugh and candidly expressed his surprise. "Satoshi is still relatively unfamiliar to opposing batters, so it shouldn't have been easy to hit him," Park said. "But seeing Kim Do-young connect perfectly on the first pitch and send it over genuinely surprised me." He nodded in agreement, adding, "Kim Do-young is truly an excellent player, and I once again realized he is a representative batter of the KBO League."

Park continued with a smile: "Satoshi was also left stunned after throwing that pitch. He had been gaining momentum lately and felt confident on the mound, throwing the ball energetically like a bullet. But when it flew away just as fast, he must have been momentarily speechless on the mound."

Although it was a painful home run surrendered to an opponent, manager Park Jin-man could not help but offer his cheerful acknowledgment and admiration for Kim Do-young's lightning-fast bat speed that built a golden monument as the first domestic player in Tigers franchise history to hit 40 home runs.

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*This content was translated by AI.