The Kim Jae-ho (38-Dusan Bears) we knew is back.
Kim Jae-ho has been revitalizing the team’s lineup lately. He has moved up to the second spot in the batting order during the slump of Heo Kyung-min (33) and is doing his job as a table-setter alongside Jung Soo-bin (33).
This month, Kim is batting .400 (16-for-40) with one home run and 11 RBIs. In addition to his outstanding batting ability, he is also doing his job as an infield commander and shortstop, showing signs of regaining his old form.
On the 19th against the Jamsil NC Dinos, with the game tied at 0-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kim hit a two-run double with runners on second and third to give the team a 4-1 victory. A day later (on the 20th), the team lost 5-12, but Kim went 2-for-4 with a double and a walk.
Doosan head coach Lee Seung-yeop was also full of praise for the veteran’s performance. “Kim Jae-ho was not feeling well against the Hanwha Eagles last time, and he had a shoulder injury in the past, so I was cautious (to send him to the game). He missed the game against Daejeon and didn’t work out, focusing on his recovery. From now on, if my body is fine, I think I will be the main shortstop (for Doosan) for a long time.”
This season, Kim is batting .324 (44-for-136) with one home run, 18 RBIs and an OPS of .805 in 56 games. His recent performance has been reminiscent of his prime, when he showed off his exquisite contact with a nearly three-for-three batting average and played excellent defense at shortstop.
Doosan has been searching for a new starting shortstop since Lee’s arrival this year. Starting with the veteran Kim Jae-ho, Park Kye-beom (27), Lee Yoo-chan (25), Jeon Min-jae (24), and Ahn Jae-seok (21) threw down the gauntlet, but it proved too difficult to find a replacement. As a shortstop, it’s important to have defensive stability, and it’s hard to replace the experienced presence of Kim Jae-ho. Kim Jae-ho is still Doosan’s starting shortstop and has made just five errors in 344⅓ innings of defense.토토사이트
Kim played in his 1700th career game on April 19 against the NC. It’s the 41st record in the KBO, and he’s been with the team long enough to have played every game for Doosan.
As Kim’s presence continues to grow, it will be interesting to see how he performs the rest of the season.