What he couldn’t do in Korea, he did in the U.S. Major Leagues. Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego Padres) completed his first career 35-steal season. He surpassed the 40-steal mark, a feat only accomplished by Japanese player Ichiro Suzuki (50).먹튀검증
Kim stole second base after leading off the first inning with a single to left field against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 12 (KST). After Dodgers starter Gavin Stone threw to first base twice and ran into a pitch limit, Kim stole second and reached first base on catcher Will Smith’s throw to first. His 35th stolen base of the season.
The local San Diego broadcasters said, “Kim reached second base, but the throw was not made in time. Kim stole another base. I like his aggressive play from the beginning.”
Ichiro is the only Asian to reach 40 stolen bases, but Kim’s ‘-5’ closes in on him
Kim’s 35 stolen bases are tied for eighth in the majors and fifth in the National League (NL). He is mathematically on pace for 39 steals with 17 games to go, and could easily reach 40 with a little more effort. His September stolen base pace is good.
His batting average has slowed in September, going 1-for-9 in 10 games (8-for-41) with a 2-for-6 slugging percentage, but he has stolen six bases. That’s not a single stolen base in that span. For the season, he has eight stolen bases for an 81.4% success rate. A success rate just above the league average.
Japanese outfielder Ichiro Suzuki is the only Asian player to steal more than 40 bases in the major leagues. Ichiro, who led the American League (AL) with 56 stolen bases in his rookie year in 2001, has posted five 40-steal seasons – 45 in 2006, 43 in 2008, 42 in 2010, and 40 in 2011 – all with the Seattle Mariners.
Aside from Ichiro and Kim, no other Asian player has ever stolen more than 35 bases. Two Japanese players, Colorado Rockies infielder Kazuo Matsui with 32 steals in 2007 and Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Norichika Aoki with 30 steals in 2012, fell short of 40.
Kim personally has more stolen bases than he did in the KBO. Kim, who also had two 20-20 seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes and showed flashes of being a hotshot shortstop, had a career-high 33 stolen bases in 2019.
The effect of the ML rule change, which Kim thanked the ‘assistant manager’ for
Kim Ha-seong is taking advantage of the changes in Major League Baseball’s rules from this year. To speed up the game and make it more exciting, Major League Baseball introduced a pitch clock and increased the size of the first, second, and third base bases from 15 inches (38.1 cm) to 18 inches (45.7 cm) square, except for home plate, and the distance between the bases was shortened by 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) between the first and second bases.
Pitchers were also limited to two strikes per at-bat. If a pitcher fails to throw out a runner on the third throw, it counts as a walk. Pitchers were also allowed to take their feet off the pitching plate, which was considered an interception, giving the runner an absolute advantage. League-wide, stolen base attempts (1.36 to 1.79), stolen bases (1.02 to 1.43), and stolen base success rate (75.4% to 80.1%) all increased significantly year-over-year.
There are also hidden contributors. As reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune on April 9, Kim said, “Stolen bases are something you can’t do alone. I’m grateful to the coaching staff and assistant manager Ryan Christensen.” “It’s a team effort. They give me information on pitchers and make it much easier for me to steal bases.” “He has great instincts in the way he plays the game,” said manager Bob Melvin.
Assistant coach Christensen, who has been helping Kim with his stolen bases, was born in 1974 and was a former outfielder. He made his debut with the Oakland Athletics in 1998 and went on to play for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers until 2003, amassing 16 stolen bases in 452 games over six seasons.
Despite not specializing in stealing bases, Melvin began his coaching career as Oakland’s minor league manager in 2013 and made his way to the majors as an Oakland bench coach in 2018. He’s been with Melvin for six years now. Last year, he followed Melvin to San Diego as a bench coach, and this year he was promoted to assistant manager, assisting Melvin.