"I just need to do well." Even on his day off, he came out for 15 minutes of shortstop training... There is no such thing as giving up for Kim Hwi-jip, who led the "miracle nine-game winning streak"

*This content was translated by AI.

"If I do well, our team will run smoothly."

Kim Hwi-jip (24), who led NC Dinos to a miraculous postseason berth last year, showed his strong desire for autumn baseball for two consecutive years by not shying away from playing shortstop defense after a long break.

On the 15th, NC lost 2-3 to LG Twins in a regular-season home game at Changwon NC Park in Gyeongnam. The sixth-place NC, now on a three-game losing streak, fell to 59 wins, 2 ties, and 62 losses, widening the gap with fifth-place Doosan Bears (64 wins, 4 ties, 62 losses), who did not play that day, to 3.5 games.

Even in defeat, Kim Hwi-jip did his part. He started as the fourth hitter and third baseman but recorded no hits; however, he drew two walks and persistently harassed the LG pitching mound. It began in the bottom of the second inning. Facing LG starter Carlos Karasko (39), he swung at a unfamiliar two-seam fastball and curveball consecutively, falling behind 0 balls-2 strikes. However, after drawing five more balls, he attacked the eighth pitch and flew out to right field.

Kim Hwi-jip struck out on a swing-and-miss in the bottom of the fifth inning but reached base via a walk in the bottom of the sixth by enduring an outside pitch from Karasko. The highlight came in the bottom of the eighth. Shortly after Blaine Cream (29) hit a two-run home run to center field, tying the score at 2-3, Kim Hwi-jip found himself again down 0 balls-2 strikes against Woo Kang-hoon (24). After enduring a sharply breaking curveball, he drew four consecutive balls to earn a walk.

LG eventually replaced Woo Kang-hoon with Son Ju-young (28). NC also sent in pinch-runner Oh Tae-yang (20) in place of Kim Hwi-jip to aim for an equalizer. Although they did not manage to take the lead, Kim Hwi-jip, who had recorded a .361 batting average (13 hits in 36 at-bats) over his last 10 games, did not give up easily even on days without a hit.

More meaningful scenes unfolded in the field. Kim Hwi-jip, who started as the third baseman, moved to shortstop from the top of the seventh inning after Kim Han-byul (25) left and Hong Jong-pyo (26) took over. This was his first appearance at shortstop in 52 days since taking the position during a game against Incheon SSG Landers on July 25.

Recently, Kim Hwi-jip has essentially secured a spot as NC's third baseman. However, there is a reason why NC manager Lee Ho-jun (50) listed Kim Han-byul first and Kim Hwi-jip second as shortstop candidates to fill the void left by Kim Ju-won during the Asian Games period.

Preparing for Kim Ju-won's potential departure at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, he received shortstop training alongside Shin Jae-in (20) since spring camp. He already has experience as a full-time shortstop. During his time with Kiwoom Heroes in 2022, Kim Hwi-jip played 798 innings at shortstop and took responsibility for 578 innings in 2023. Even before being traded to NC in 2024, he played 338⅓ innings as a shortstop. While he has rarely appeared at shortstop for NC over the past two years, it is not an unfamiliar position for him.

Of course, game readiness was a separate issue. This was why Kim Hwi-jip came to the baseball stadium on the 14th, the day before the game, despite it being a rest day for the team. Neither the club nor Manager Lee instructed him to play shortstop. He simply added about 15 minutes of shortstop defense practice to his usual personal training on days off. Before the game, Kim Hwi-jip told StarNews, "Since we play every day, it's difficult to drastically increase training volume. However, I felt we should at least prepare minimally so there would be no regrets."

Even those 15 minutes were not merely about catching a few balls. He focused on re-ingraining the unique movements of a shortstop, such as relay plays and pivots, into his body. Kim Hwi-jip explained, "Even with just 15 minutes, there is much that can be done. I focused more on drawing out my instincts within movement rather than just catching the ball. I tried to awaken some dormant abilities."

He knows better than anyone that training and actual games are different. Kim Hwi-jip said, "There is accumulated information on how each player hits or where ground balls tend to go. However, whether reactions come out naturally during a game is another matter." He added, "Since it has been too long since I last played shortstop, I am trying to minimize anxiety by preparing minimally."

Coincidentally, that preparation became necessary in actual play the very next day. NC will have to play the final 12 regular-season games without a starting shortstop due to Kim Ju-won's departure. However, Kim Hwi-jip does not believe that one specific player must perfectly replace him. He emphasized, "Baseball is not about losing when someone leaves or winning when someone arrives. The position will be filled regardless."

NC lost on the first day after Kim Ju-won left. Nevertheless, Kim Hwi-jip has no intention of giving up. Last year, even when everyone thought it was over, he led a nine-game winning streak with just one sentence: "We have not given up yet."

Kim Hwi-jip said, "Last year, during the nine-game winning streak, there were days when (Park) Min-woo or (Kim) Ju-won were absent. Of course, if Ju-won had been there, there would have been a loss, but we still have many games left. That is why I want to maintain that atmosphere." He then shared his honest feelings: "The manager, and seniors like (Park) Min-woo, (Park) Geon-woo, and (Kwon) Hee-dong, take great care of the juniors and work hard to keep the atmosphere lively. They are wonderful seniors, so I am grateful, and because they are such seniors, I want to achieve good results with them for a longer time."

He will put aside his best friend Kim Ju-won for now. He intends to exclude assumptions like "NC without Kim Ju-won" or "if Kim Ju-won had been there." Kim Hwi-jip stated, "There is no 'what if' in baseball, is there? I do not even want to assume 'until (Kim) Ju-won returns.' For us now, every single game is important. Since two weeks ago, we have been saying every day, 'Today is the decisive match,' and 'We must really win today.' We will just do our best to win as many games as possible."

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*This content was translated by AI.