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Major League lauds Kim Hyun-soo’s amazing adaptability

Major League lauds Kim Hyun-soo’s amazing adaptability

Posted September. 03, 2016 07:01,   

Updated September. 03, 2016 07:10

한국어
The U.S. media have expressed strong confidence in Kim Hyun-soo (28), who has strengthened his position as a flagship batter of the Baltimore Orioles. The Baltimore Sun, which had denigrated Kim prior to the season’s opening, said Thursday that his adaptability is amazing since he garners quality hits through confident full swings, undaunted, once he faces off a pitcher of any style, adding that given the performance against right-handed pitchers, he can achieve anything.

The daily also said that Baltimore Manager Buck Showalter, who rules out Kim from the roster when his team faces off a left-handed pitcher, must change his strategy. With a batting average of 0.315 by posting 80 hits in 254 times at bat this season, Kim was really good against right-handed pitcher and had no hits and three strikeouts in 18 times at bat off left-handed pitchers. The Baltimore Sun added that Baltimore recruited Steve Pearce, a right-handed hitter who is competitive against left-handed pitchers, but if the team is to widely use Kim in the senior hitter lineup next season, the manager needs to consider proactively deploying Kim when playing against a left-handed pitcher as well.

Kim was strong as a batter against left-handed pitchers when he was playing in the Korea pro league, with a batting average of 0.333 (54 hits in 164 times at bat) against left-handed pitchers last season. “Major League pitchers throw forkballs and changeups, which left-handed pitchers rarely pitch in Korea," Kim said. "It is difficult to pick the timing for swing.” The Baltimore Sun said that as Manager Showalter is aware of the history of Kim’s solid performance against left-handed pitchers in Korea, he will try to make most of the strength of Kim.



유재영기자 elegant@donga.com