"It's unfair to Kim Do-young." This is true sportsmanship; he showed the 'dignity' of shielding a competitor.

*This content was translated by AI.

"It's unfair to Kim Do-young (23, KIA Tigers)."

When asked about the 'home run race' by KT Wiz foreign hitter Hiliard (32), an unexpected answer came back. This was right after KT defeated SSG Landers 8-2 at Incheon SSG Landers Field on the 22nd.

Hiliard hit a grand slam home run over the center field off opposing pitcher Jeon Young-jun in the bottom of the 9th inning while leading 4-2. With his 38th home run of the season, he closed in on the leader Kim Do-young (40) and second-place Austin (33, LG Twins, 39).

When asked if the gap with Kim Do-young had narrowed to two home runs, Hiliard immediately said, "I want to say it's unfair to Kim Do-young. He is in first place and is currently participating in the Asian Games (AG)."

Kim Do-young will miss about seven regular-season games while playing for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games representative team, putting him at a disadvantage in the home run race, which amounts to an 'unfair competition.' Instead of focusing on his rival, he showed true sportsmanship and dignity by shielding the opponent.

Hiliard continued, "I am not consciously thinking about records and will focus only on what I can do." He added, "Of course, winning the home run title would make me very happy, but I try not to think about it as much as possible."

Hiliard recorded 181 hits, 44 home runs, and 107 RBIs with a .218 batting average over 332 career games in Major League Baseball. After joining KT this season, he has been a valuable 'foreign investor' for the team. Beyond home runs, he has 120 RBIs, trailing first-place Austin (122) by two, and is third in slugging percentage (.582) and fourth in runs scored (103), making decisive contributions to KT's leading charge.

Regarding the RBI race, Hiliard said, "I naturally find myself in a position where I need to drive in runs, and since many of my teammates get on base, I feel grateful that I can accumulate RBIs." He added, "In some ways, I should have driven in more runs, so there are indeed regrets. Going forward, I will strive to fulfill my role as much as possible," showing a team-first attitude.

Will we be able to see Hiliard wearing the KT uniform next season? On this, Hiliard said, "I am very grateful that the team and coaching staff trust me." He continued, "We will have to wait and see what happens in the future, but if possible, I certainly want to play with KT again next season."

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*This content was translated by AI.