"Even if I have to persuade the manager, I want to play": Kim Hyun-soo's injured finger and his determination to play through pain — why was the 38th-year-old Korean Series MVP so desperate? [Korean Series Game 1 On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"Even if the manager says no, I will persuade him and go out to play."

Kim Hyun-soo (38, KT Wiz), who was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of last year's Korean Series (KS), showed his determination to take the field despite a finger injury.

In Game 1 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Korean Series (best-of-seven series) against the Samsung Lions, held on the 3rd at Suwon KT Wiz Park, Kim Hyun-soo started as the fifth batter and first baseman, recording two hits in four at-bats (including one home run), two runs batted in, one walk, and one run scored.

Led by Kim Hyun-soo's two-run homer among others, KT defeated Samsung 8-7 to seize the momentum. In the history of the 42nd Korean Series held so far, the team that won Game 1 went on to win the championship in 31 instances (73.8%).

In the early stages of the game, the flow was one-sided in favor of KT. Sam Hilliard's two-run RBI double in the bottom of the first inning gave KT a three-run lead, and they extended their advantage to 6-0 with An Hyun-min's two-run homer in the third inning and Han Seung-taek's solo homer in the fifth inning.

Kim Hyun-soo's bat also shone at crucial moments. After grounding out to right field in his first at-bat with one out and a runner on second in the bottom of the first, Kim Hyun-soo hit an infield single to center field with one out in the bottom of the third inning, setting a new postseason career record for total bases with 150. The previous record was 149 total bases held by Hong Seong-heon.

He grounded out to shortstop in the bottom of the fourth inning, but he did not record a third out. With KT leading 6-0 and two outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the sixth, Kim Hyun-soo hit the second pitch from relief pitcher Im Ki-young over the right-field fence for a two-run homer. The blast extended KT's lead to 8-0 and increased Kim Hyun-soo's postseason career total bases to 154.

Ultimately, this home run became the decisive two runs that secured KT's victory. Samsung scored five runs in the top of the seventh and two runs in the top of the eighth to close the gap to 8-7. Had it not been for Kim Hyun-soo's home run, the outcome could have been reversed.

Without this home run, the game could have easily been turned around. Samsung scored five runs in the top of the seventh, combining Ko Ja-wook's two-run homer and Lee Jae-hyun's two-run RBI hit among others. They added two more runs in the eighth inning to trail by just one run at 7-8. KT barely held on to the victory after bringing in closer Park Young-hyun early with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth inning.

After the game, Kim Hyun-soo reflected, "I kept thinking we had to keep scoring. Every time I stepped into the batter's box, the pitcher in front of me kept changing. In my previous at-bats, I was focused on the new pitchers, but this time not worrying about the pitcher seems to have led to a good result."

However, the joy was short-lived. During defense in the seventh inning, Kim Hyun-soo felt pain in his left finger while sliding and was replaced by Oh Yun-seok. The pain persisted even after the game. Kim Hyun-soo explained, "It hurts right now. But I am the type who feels better as time passes, so I believe it will get better. If I stay still, it stiffens up and gets worse, so I keep moving a lot."

When asked about the possibility of playing in Game 2, he emphasized, "If it helps the team, I will play; if it seems like I cannot play, then I cannot. But my heart says that even if the manager says no, I will persuade him and go out to play."

He was also not satisfied with failing to hold onto an eight-run lead and playing a one-run game until the end. Kim Hyun-soo stated firmly, "In the Korean Series, you are tense even when leading 8-0. I hope this kind of game does not help us. I just want to win more decisively."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original