In his first year, Lee Jung-hoo sold the most Lotte Giants jerseys. Now, the self-proclaimed “resignation idol” dreams of becoming a national baseball star.
Kim Min-seok was named as one of the 12 outfielders on the KBO All-Star Team announced today. He is one of only two rookies, along with LG Twins’ Park Myung-geun.
The All-Star Game is a chance to play alongside superstars like Ki Rae-sung. For young rookies, it is literally a ‘dream stage’.
When we met in his bedroom, Kim Min-seok responded to the news of his ‘All-Star nomination’ by saying, “It still doesn’t really sink in. I’m not sure. I was very surprised when I heard about it.” He was surprised to be nominated as an All-Star by the club.
“I don’t even know how they do it,” he said. When told that the fan vote was “overwhelming,” he said, “I’m going to have to work harder and better than I’ve been working.
He played in 40 of the team’s 45 games. He is already showing signs of fulfilling the high expectations he received on his debut. Especially with Hwang Sung-bin’s long injury layoff and Ahn Kwon-soo’s elbow injury, he’s been the main center fielder. His shoulders are strong, and his range of defense using his quick feet is beyond expectations.
When asked about his nomination alongside Park Myung-geun, he emphasized, “(Park) Myung-geun is a rookie, but he’s a really good pitcher who doesn’t look like a rookie. I hope they both get the nod.”먹튀검증
If he loses the fan vote, he should aim for a managerial nomination. When asked to make an appeal, Kim purses his lips and says, “I’ll do that on the baseball field.”
“I remember going to Jamsil Stadium to watch the All-Star Game when I was a kid,” he said. “I was playing little league baseball in elementary school,” he explained, suggesting the 2011 All-Star Game.
Did he expect to make the All-Star Game in his first year as a professional? “I didn’t, and I think I’m always in the process of learning for the future rather than looking at results,” Kim said, adding, “I think my current performance comes from playing with ease.”
The All-Star Game can also be a huge experience. “I think it will be an opportunity to learn a lot from my brothers and seniors who are really good, but I will work harder since I haven’t been selected yet,” Kim reiterated.
“When the bat doesn’t work, it’s more important to eat well and sleep well to recover than the technical part. I’m most satisfied that I didn’t make too many mistakes on defense rather than offense.”
Before joining the professional ranks, he focused exclusively on the infield. He started playing center field in rookie camp last year.
“I’ve been practicing a lot on my own, and thanks to my coaches, I’ve gotten better, but I can’t say I’ve adapted to the middle infield yet,” Kim admits. “I can still hit to the left and right, but I’m still not good at judging whether I should go forward or backward with a straight hit. I’m trying to follow through even if I don’t get a good start. You have to do your best until the ball drops,” he added.
In that sense, how did he see Hwang Sung-bin’s miraculous diving catch the day before? “The moment it hit, I thought it was a hit, but Sung-bin’s brother flew over and caught it, so I think Sung-bin won yesterday because of his brother,” said Kim Min-seok.
“I think we’ll get votes for what we show on the field. I’ll do my best to stay injury-free until the All-Star Game!”
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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