A long slump. The 19-year-old rookie has opened the door to the power analysis room.
Kim Dong-heon (19, Kiwoom Heroes) had three hits against the LG Twins on the 13th and then didn’t hit in 10 at-bats from the KIA Tigers on the 15th to his substitute appearance against the Lotte Giants on the 18th.먹튀검증
He’s still a rookie and plays catcher, so it’s hard to expect a perfect performance at the plate. However, out of frustration, Kim visited the power analysis room before the 19th game against Lotte in Gochuk.
He briefly reviewed the points he was struggling with. The effect was immediate. In the top of the sixth inning, Kim batted leadoff with a 3-2 lead.
Lotte sent down starter Na Kyun-ahn and brought up Lee In-bok. Kim battled Lee for seven pitches, then took a 133-kilometer-per-hour slider right at him. It went over the left field fence, his first home run in 25 days since the 25th of last month. Kim Dong-heon, who didn’t think it would lead to a home run, sprinted around the bases and leisurely rounded the bases when the home run siren sounded.
He also had good communication with the pitcher. After a scoreless sixth inning with Ahn Woo-jin, Kim combined with Kim Jae-woong (1 inning), Moon Sung-hyun (1 inning), and Lim Chang-min (1 inning) for a no-hitter to lead the team to a 5-2 victory.
After the game, Kim said, “I went to the power analysis room because I hadn’t gotten a hit in a row lately, and that’s what helped me.”
The home run came out of nowhere. “I’m not aiming for a long hit at the plate, but I’m trying to keep swinging hard. I’ve been trying to hit hard in practice, and it was nice to get a strong hit.”
Kim has been selected for the Hangzhou Asian Games in late September. While he’s still playing for Kiwoom, it’s time for him to work harder on his fitness and conditioning for the national team. “First of all, I think it’s important to play as a team. As a rookie, it’s hard for me to feel the ups and downs of my batting cycle. However, as I’ve been playing a lot as a starter lately, I’ve been able to think about my at-bats even if I don’t get a single at-bat, so I think I’m getting good results.”
The 2023 KBO League game between the Kiwoom Heroes and the KIA Tigers was held at the Gocheok Sky Dome on the 14th. Kiwoom’s Kim Dong-heon. Gocheok = Park Jae-man 기자pjm@sportschosun.com/2023.06.14/
On the day, Kim also shared a meaningful record as a catcher. In the top of the ninth inning, Lim Chang-min pitched a scoreless inning to reach the 20-save plateau for the first time in six years. Kim said, “Senior Lim Chang-min has been playing baseball almost as long as I have been alive. He always says a lot of good things. After the game, he’ll say things like ‘good pitch mix’ and ‘hard work’. Being the youngest, it must be difficult for him to take care of me, so I’m always grateful. I want to congratulate her on her record.”