'Oh Yun-seok's step → Kim Hyun-soo's catch': That single defensive play changed the champion [Kim In-sik's take]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

As expected, the regular season and games held in the fall, particularly the Korea Series (KS), are vastly different. The KT Wiz managed the race well over 144 regular-season games to finish first, but their weaknesses were exposed in the short series.

The game that determined the direction of this Korea Series was Game 2 (November 4 · Suwon). Both teams only needed one more run each, but neither could capitalize on their chances effectively.

Samsung Lions starting pitcher Fedex pitched well, but there were also mistakes by KT batters. After the mid-game, they kept swinging at bad pitches despite having favorable counts. As a result, it helped Fedex reduce his pitch count (5 pitches in the 3rd inning, 12 in the 4th, etc.) and pitch through the 7th inning.

Then, in extra innings, with the score tied 2-2, the problematic scene occurred during Samsung's attack in the top of the 12th. Among domestic pitchers I have met, the player who defends best after pitching is Song Jin-woo (former Hanwha). Next is Woo Kyu-min (KT), whom I played with on the national team.

On this day as well, with one out and runners on first and second, Woo Kyu-min fielded Lee Jae-hyun's grounder well and threw to second base. However, second baseman Oh Yun-seok force-outed runner Kim Sang-jun at second base, but the throw he made to first bounced once, and first baseman Kim Hyun-soo failed to catch it. In the meantime, runner Diaz on second rounded third and reached home, which became the winning run.

Woo Kyu-min's throw to second went slightly to the left from Oh Yun-seok's position. After catching the ball, Oh Yun-seok should have stepped forward one step and thrown to first, but because he was positioned behind, it appears that for a moment, runner Kim Sang-jun and Kim Hyun-soo were in a straight line. Consequently, he threw around them, resulting in an errant throw.

Kim Hyun-soo's catching posture was also disappointing. If it had been a bases-loaded situation, to prevent the run, they should have attempted a double play, so even if they missed, attempting a one-hand catch would have been correct. However, since runners were on first and second, in such cases, he should have initially used his body to block and stop the runner from second from heading home.

Oh Yun-seok is a 'multi-player' who played first base, second base, and third base throughout the regular season. Kim Hyun-soo is also not a player who has played first base defense for a long time. When assigning multiple positions to defensive players or moving them, they should be allowed to play only after practicing more perfectly. Had that error not occurred, no one knew how the subsequent contest would have turned out.

In Game 3, KT lost 1-5 as starting pitcher So Hyoung-jun unexpectedly struggled with control and threw many balls, while Choi Won-jun and Heo Kyung-min were pulled from the lineup due to injuries, and luck did not favor them either. If KT had won Game 2, they could have maintained the lead in the series with a record of two wins and one loss. Ultimately, it is no exaggeration to say that single defensive play changed the champion.

Perhaps because the series did not go as planned, KT, unlike their status as the regular-season leader, showed a significant gap in pitching and batting power compared to Samsung and surrendered the championship in vain. From the outside, it even seemed that their motivation for the games was inferior to Samsung's. It was even to the point where one might think KT finished first only because LG Twins and Hanwha Eagles, who were originally championship contenders, showed unexpected poor performance.

As a result, this Korea Series did not show much in terms of content. Under Samsung's one-sided dominance, inexplicable errors and pitchers throwing many balls continued.

Regarding Oh Yun-seok's step in Game 2, I was reminded of a story I heard long ago in the late 1960s when I played for Industrial Bank in amateur baseball. According to senior player Heo Jong-man (Japanese name: Kimura), who played for the Japanese professional team Kintetsu Buffaloes (now Orix) at the time, they taught infielders social dance steps in Japan. I believe that sometimes such efforts are necessary to make footwork during defense accurate and agile.

Older batters participating in this Korea Series, including Choi Hyeong-woo (Samsung) and Kim Hyun-soo, as well as Yang Eui-ji (Doosan Bears) and Na Seong-beom (KIA Tigers), are still showing top-tier skills in the league. While they are indeed excellent hitters, it can also be interpreted that domestic pitchers' skills are weak to that extent.

The KBO League has completed its 45th season. While many very good players have emerged during this time, it is also a fact that they are limited to a few. We expect professional and amateur coaches to think more deeply and put their words into action, rather than just making grand statements, so that the skills of our country's baseball players can develop comprehensively and evenly, showing fans a good image.

/Former National Baseball Team Manager Kim In-sik (current KBO Senior Advisory Council)

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original