“Honestly, when we were playing, we didn’t think it was that big of a stage.”
Kim Jae-woong (25, Kiwoom Heroes) was baseball’s “new stealer” last fall.
Game 3 of the playoffs against the LG Twins. With runners on first and second in the eighth inning, Moon Bo-kyung’s bunt was high and he threw his whole body to catch it out of bounds. He followed up with a great throw to second base for a double play.
After finishing the regular season in third place last year, Kiwoom started in the semifinals and made it to the Korean Series. Although they didn’t win the championship, they were etched in Korean baseball history as the surprise team of the fall of 2022.
LG, who were held back by Kiwoom at the time, finished the regular season in first place and are playing the Korean Series against the KT Wiz. 먹튀검증 With the exception of Game 4, Games 1 through 3 were decided by a single point.
Kiwoom is in the midst of its final camp after finishing in last place this season amid a series of injuries.
Watching the Korean Series, which has become the “other guy’s feast” this season, has rejuvenated Kim Jae-woong’s resolve.
“Actually, when we were playing, we didn’t think of it as a big stage. I think that’s why we performed so well. Watching them this year, I realize that it’s a really big stage.”
After going 3-2 with a 2.01 ERA and 13 saves in 27 relief appearances in 65 games last year, he has struggled this season.
In 67 games, he was 2-3 with six saves and a 4.22 ERA in 18 appearances, which was a bit of a drop-off from his previous pace. While he was consistently solid last year, he’s had some ups and downs this season.
He’s on the verge of a call-up. It seems to be another opportunity for growth.
Kim Jae-woong said, “This year, my form and mental game were not good when I was down. I think I was trying to throw with power when I should have thrown accurately,” he said, adding, “This is the season I learned how to get back on track quickly. He wouldn’t say I’ve figured it out 100 percent, but I think I’ve figured it out to a certain extent. I realized how to climb and what to think to do better. I think it’s better to just do what you’re doing instead of trying to be too good.”
In the final camp, he is trying to recover. I played more games than last year. There were even back-to-back and three-game winning streaks. “Right now, I’m running and lifting weights to recover,” said Kim Jae-woong.
It was a season where he realized the value of the Korean Series stage. Although he knows that one game is many times more physically demanding than the other, Kim hopes to be the hero of the fall once again. “I want to do the Korean Series one more time,” he said, “I don’t really realize how hard it is when I’m throwing. You realize you’re tired later, but I want to be on the Korean Series stage every year,” he said.