KIA Tigers manager Kim Jong-kook is often asked, “Why don’t you hire Kim Do-young as a shortstop?”
Kim Do-young, who was called the “second Lee Jong-beom” and joined as a super rookie last year, is a shortstop. However, he has been 꽁머니지급 playing as a third baseman since joining the pro league. Last year, his first year as a shortstop, but this year, he is focusing only on defending third base.
Currently, Park Chan-ho is the starting shortstop for KIA. On the other hand, Ryu Ji-hyuk and Kim Do-young built a competitive system for the third base. It was calculated that if Kim Do-young takes a position not only in shortstop defense but also in third base, KIA’s entire infield composition would be more solid. Recently, he also trained second base defense, which had a gap due to Kim Sun-bin’s injury. However, as KIA traded Ryu Ji-hyuk, ‘third baseman Kim Do-young’s position seems to have become more solid.
When asked about his thoughts on “shortstop Kim Do-young,” head coach Kim Jong-kook said, “At the beginning of the season, I had that thought. However, there is a concern that Doyoung may recur after the injury. The shortstop is worried because he moves too much. In addition, Chan-ho is much more stable in shortstop defense now.”
Kim Do-young encountered a bad news when she suffered a fracture in her left middle bone while playing base in this year’s opening series. In fact, he was able to return at the end of June after spending the first half in vain. Since he is a player with expectations for hitting, neither the team nor Kim Do-young are concerned about the recurrence of injuries.
Head coach Kim Jong-kook said, “Doyoung has been injured, so I think his use will be reduced a little this year.” “If Chan-ho is injured or unable to play, he can use Doyoung as a shortstop, but he has to go to third base for now,” he explained.
Ryu Ji-hyuk left the team in a trade, but Kim Do-young’s “hit pot” is exploding, and Kim Sun-bin, who has recovered from his injury, will return to the first division this weekend. The formation of the KIA infield is also an opportunity to regain stability.
Instead, the “multi-man” position due to Ryu Ji-hyuk’s transfer is expected from Kim Kyu-sung. Head coach Kim Jong-kook said, “Kyu Sung has been preparing well for all weather conditions. He is a stable player on the defensive side. “The player himself has confidence in defense and base running, and his batting has improved a lot,” he said