Kim Hye-sung, 24, who previously served as interim captain of the Kiwoom Heroes, has been named captain of the baseball team competing at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Led by head coach Ryu Jung-il, the Korean Asian Games baseball team held its first training session at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
The Korean baseball team will try to win its fourth consecutive title in Hangzhou. Previously, the Korean baseball team won three consecutive titles in Guangzhou in 2010, Incheon in 2014 and Jakarta-Palembang in 2018.
Head coach Ryu Joong-il and captain Kim Hye-sung, who was named the team’s new captain, held an official press conference before the tournament. Ryu, the coaching staff, and the players decided to appoint Kim as captain after internal discussions.
Kim Hye-sung is the main infielder of the Hero Legion, who has the ability to play offense, defense, and base running. She won Golden Gloves at shortstop in 2021 and second base in 2022. This season, Kim played in 134 games, batting .335 with seven home runs, 55 RBI, 102 runs scored, 25 doubles, and an OPS of .843. She ranked third in batting average, second in runs scored, and first in hits (183). Notably, in 2021, Kim served as the youngest captain in KBO history at the age of 22 for his team Kiwoom.
Speaking to the media before the training session, Kim said, “I heard the news of my appointment as captain for the first time the day before (on the 22nd), but there are players in this team who are experiencing the national team for the first time. I thought I should tell them what I was feeling,” she said.
Did Kim Hye-sung know why he was chosen as captain? “I’m quite old in the Beast side. I think that’s why I was chosen,” and then added, “I didn’t vote. I think the coach decided it.”
On his experience as captain in 2021, he said, “I think the captain is a position where you have to lead by example. If you show it through your actions rather than words, I think they will follow.” On becoming a teammate with a teammate who was an enemy the day before, he said, “Yesterday we were enemies, but now we are teammates who are wearing the national team jersey and working towards the same goal. I think we need to work hard with one mind and one heart.”
Kim Hye-sung said, “I talked to the manager and coach before I went out on the field. I think I’ll have to have a lot of conversations with the players before we go to Hangzhou.”
“I don’t feel any pressure, just excitement and the need to work hard. I just have to do my best to win,” he said. He added, “With the title of national champion comes responsibility. I didn’t perform well at the WBC. This time, I’m determined to make up for it with a good performance.”
How much does she analyze her opponents’ strengths? “I heard that both Taiwan and Japan have good players. I also looked up videos. There were a lot of good players. We also have good players. I think we need to work hard,” she said, adding, “I received the power analysis in advance and watched it on video. I watched it a lot because they are unfamiliar players, so I thought it would be helpful to watch it as much as possible. However, there is a side that such a video only collects the things that are done well.(Laughs) They seem to be really good pitchers. I’m trying to figure out how to operate,” he added.
The national team had a short preparation period because they were called up while the league was still in progress. Kim said, “Baseball is a team sport, so teamwork is important. We will have to work together well and prepare perfectly in a short period of time,” she said.
“I want to tell them that it’s not easy to be selected for the national team, and I want them to be proud of being selected and do their best,” she said.
What would her teammate Lee Jung-hoo say to Kim Hye-sung? “She just told me to do my best,” Kim said, “so I said, ‘Okay,’” she added.
When asked what she thinks is most important in international competitions, Kim said, “Luck is probably the most important thing because it’s a short-term game. Baseball is a very difficult sport. It’s a game of odds. I think the players and teams with the best odds will win,” she said, showing her sense and relaxation.토토사이트
Meanwhile, the baseball team will continue to train on the 24th and take a break on the 25th. On the 26th, the team will play a scrimmage (limited broadcast) against Sangmu at 6pm. The team will train once more on the 27th before departing for Hangzhou, China, on the afternoon of the 28th via Incheon International Airport.