'Am I the starter?' Kim Young-woong also surprised: "I've completely forgotten how well I played last fall, and comparing myself to (Kim) Do-young is..."

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Even amid the tension of fall baseball, Samsung Lions infielder Kim Young-woong (23) displayed a refreshing and candid demeanor. After swinging his bat powerfully in a scrimmage, including hitting a home run to sharpen his timing, he met with reporters ahead of the postseason (PO), sharing his cheerful yet honest thoughts.

When meeting Kim Young-woong ahead of the playoffs to be held at DaeguSamsung Lions Park on the 25th, what caught the most attention was the moment he learned he would start the game. Asked when he found out that he had been named in the starting lineup as the regular third baseman, Kim burst into laughter, saying, "I just found out." He explained, "I came back from practice and saw the lineup posted in our group chat, so I learned it then." It seemed unexpected to him, given that infielder Jeon Byung-woo occupied the same position.

Perhaps because his regular season performance (batting average 0.167) had been somewhat sluggish, he may have thought he could be left out of the starting lineup, but he was always prepared. Kim said, "Since the manager trusted me enough to put me in, I worked hard on image training until bedtime to live up to expectations," adding, "I felt more confident than nervous." Regarding his batting form, he quipped, "I made some minor adjustments to my takeback motion and the timing of my foot placement, but I'll pass on explaining it since it would get too long."

When asked if he had watched the junior playoff games for the purpose of analyzing the opposing team's strength, an unexpectedly cool answer came back. Kim stated, "I only did my own training." This was interpreted to mean that rather than trying to gauge other teams' momentum, he focused solely on his own training and maintaining his feel for the game.

He firmly waved off the narrative of a "power hitter showdown" with KIA Tigers' Kim Do-young, a same-age rival who had heated up the league. Kim shook his head, saying, "It's not comparable. Unless I play better in the future, being compared to him right now feels like too much of an honor and reflects high expectations." He added, "I'm not at a level where I'm conscious of Do-young. I only think about how much I can contribute to our team winning."

He has completely wiped away even the good memories from his strong performance in last fall's baseball season. He emphasized, "I have already forgotten all my past successes. Thinking about them now could actually be a poison, so I am focusing only on the present to create new memories." Regarding the pressure of errors, he revealed a firm, competitive spirit by stating, "If I play passively, I'll make more errors. I will face it boldly with confidence."

When asked about his current condition, Kim smiled and said, "It's good. But I shouldn't let my mouth run ahead of me, so I'll keep my words to myself." Although he was surprised by the group chat announcement, his bold bat, which looks only toward team victory once he steps onto the field, promises another upset this fall.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original