Taegeuk Mark in 15 Years’ coach Kim Min-jae’s excitement… “When will you teach the major leaguers?”
- allforyouclick
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- on Feb 18, 2023
Coach Min-jae Kim (50), who joined the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) 메이저놀이터 national team as first base and defensive coach, joined major leaguers Tommy Hyeon-su Edman (St. Louis Cardinals) and Ha-seong Kim (San Diego Padres). ) and expressed anticipation.
Coach Kim, who graduated from Busan Technical High School, joined the Lotte Giants in 1991 and made a name for himself as a famous shortstop.
Although he was not special in batting, he was good at team batting and was recognized for his solid defense at the top of the league.
Coach Kim’s national team career is also splendid. He has a strong resume, including the gold medal at the 2002 Busan Asian Games, the semifinals at the 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC), and the gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
After his retirement, he goes through Hanwha, Doosan Bears, KT Wiz and Lotte, and has been coaching at SSG since 2021.
Coach Kim, who tasted the combined championship with his team last year, was called by national team coach Lee Kang-cheol early this year, and left the SSG spring camp in Florida, USA, to join Arizona, the national team’s training ground.
On the 16th (hereafter local time), Coach Kim, who met with News 1 at the Keno Sports Complex in Tucson, said, “It’s been a long time since I’ve worn a uniform with the national flag on it, so I feel new and excited. It reminds me of the old days.”
Coach Kim said, “Before joining the national team, I told SSG coach Kim Won-hyung, ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t finish the camp together,’ but he said, ‘Don’t worry about it and go well.’ It will be, but I hope that our baseball team will enter the semifinals at least this time and give joy to the people.”
He continued, “In my team’s training, I focus on technical training because there are young players, but I don’t need to do that here,” he said. .
Coach Kim, who has a close relationship with LG Twins coach Lee Jong-beom, said, “I came here and saw (Lee) Jung-hoo in person, and he seems to be more skillful and perfect than I thought.” . Coach Lee is expected to participate in the WBC as a commentator for MBC.
Coach Kim, who drew attention for his excellent infield defense during his active career, is putting high expectations on the national team’s infield. In particular, the existence of Edmon and Ha-sung Kim is more reassuring than anything else.
Coach Kim said, “I saw Edmund play on video, and he was really good. (Kim) Ha-seong’s skills are of course good,” adding, “In addition, (Oh) Ji-hwan and (Kim) Hye-seong’s skills are also good. First of all, the coach said, You must be thinking of the Edmund-Kim Ha-sung combination first, but no matter who comes out, you will be able to do well.”
He said, “While playing fungo ball during training, I had a pleasant thought, ‘When can I be with these players on a team?'” I want to,” he said.