Kiwoom Heroes’ infield competition is heating up. This is the effect that veteran Lee Won-seok (37) added.
Kiwoom recorded 2 wins and 1 loss in 3 consecutive matches against NC Dinos, which were played at home (Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul) from the 12th, and finished the series with an advantage.
First baseman Lim Ji-yeol flew. In the first game on the 12th, he started as the 7th batter and first baseman, and hit a home run to end the left run from opponent pitcher Si-Hoon Kim at the end of the 9th inning when the score was tied 4-4. In the second game on the 13th, at the end of the 3rd inning, when Kiwoom was leading 2-0, NC starter Song Myeong-ki’s slider was attacked and passed over the left fence. Kiwoom won both the first and second games.
Lim Ji-yeol proved his slugging power by hitting a home run in Game 1 of the semi-playoff (PO) against KT Wiz last season, Game 3 of PO against LG Twins, and Game 6 of the Korean Series (KS) against SSG Landers last season (2022). . 토토사이트
He was sluggish at the beginning of this season. Lim Ji-yeol, who was named in the opening entry, was excluded from the first-team entry after only hitting 0.077 in six games. In the meantime, his position narrowed as his team Kiwoom recruited Lee Won-seok, who could handle both first and third base defense, through a trade with the Samsung Lions.
Lim Ji-yeol showed his value in this crisis. He came back to the first team on the 9th and recorded multi-hits in all three games as a starter. His last week’s batting average was 0.429, 2 home runs and 7 RBIs.
When Lim Ji-yeol showed a good performance, Kim Hui-jip, who was in charge of third base, couldn’t help but be nervous. Kim Hui-jib, who was the starting shortstop last season, gave up his spot to Edison Russell after he was recruited as a foreign hitter, and this season he has been guarding third base. Kiwoom coach Hong Won-ki recently entrusted Lim Ji-yeol as the starting first baseman, and Lee Won-seok as the third baseman.
Kim Hui’s house was not pushed back either. He recorded a batting average of 0.412 in the five games he played last week. In the game against LG on the 10th, he had 3 hits, and in the bottom of the 9th inning against NC on the 14th, he hit a home run with a score of 4-6 and 2 runs.
Ko Hyeong-wook, general manager of Kiwoom, said when recruiting Lee Won-seok, “He is a player who will serve as a bridge until young players grow (to a starting position).” In fact, it is an ideal scenario for raising Lee Won-seok, who is 38 years old in our age, to be the designated hitter, and young players to be the first and third basemen. Lim Ji-yeol and Kim Hwi-jip are realizing this by pushing Lee Won-seok out of their main position.