'PS selection' was still 'genius'...Generational change in place, 39-year-old shortstop's value proved
'PS selection' was still 'genius'...Generational change in place, 39-year-old shortstop's value proved
Blog Article
The most important game. The Doosan Bears' choice was a 39-year-old "genius shortstop."안전놀이터
Kim Jae-ho (39, Doosan Bears) was listed in the starting lineup as the second batter and shortstop in Game 1 and 2 of the postseason wild card game against KT Wiz at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 2nd and 3rd.
One of the goals of Lee Seung-yeop, who took the helm of the Doosan Bears last year, was to change the generation of shortstop.
Until now, Doosan's main shortstop was Kim Jae-ho. Based on his solid basic skills, he had stable defense and offensive capabilities that enabled him to record a batting average of 300. He also showed off consistent performance in operational capabilities, making him famous as the best shortstop in the league.
Kim Jae-ho also said, "Time was inevitable. As I was in my mid-30s, I started to pass my prime, and I needed a new face to fill this position.
Last year, Ahn Jae-seok, who wore the uniform as the first designated player for the Rookie of the Year draft in 2021, was given the opportunity. An is an infielder appointed by Doosan as the first designated player in 17 years since Kim Jae-ho in 2004. Analysts say that Kim's successor, including his bold defense capabilities, is sufficient. However, Ahn's growth has not come as expected. As he suffered ups and downs, he eventually joined the active military early this year and had time to reorganize.
Doosan's search for shortstop went back to square one. This season, Park Joon-young received a chance to become a strong candidate. Park joined the NC Dinos as the first designated player in 2016, and he became a compensation player after Park Se-hyuk's transfer to the FA after the end of the 2022 season and wore the Doosan uniform. Park Joon-young was also evaluated as having compliance with defense and firepower capable of producing medium and long-range hits.
He received an opportunity as a main player with full support, but a hamstring injury came. Eventually, he finished the season with a batting average of 2.26 and seven home runs in 65 games this season.
In addition to Park Joon-young, Jeon Min-jae and Lee Yoo-chan were given the opportunity, but there were some scenes that were not enough to establish themselves as the main players. Lee Yoo-chan even went on to work as an outfielder.
Eventually, Kim Jae-ho was listed in the starting lineup in the postseason. As he was deployed as the second batter, he was recognized for his clear ability to execute operations. "Kim Jae-ho is a player who is capable of performing operations and can play well on his own even if it is not necessarily in an operational situation," said Lee Seung-yeop.
Veteran experience is sometimes taken into consideration in big games. However, Doosan's reality was that there was no player beyond Kim Jae-ho to take the shortstop position.
Kim Jae-ho clearly proved his value by maintaining his position as Doosan's shortstop at the end of this season. It is time to consider "retirement," but under the current circumstances, Doosan has to consider accompanying him. Eventually, Doosan will start again with "generation change of shortstop" as its homework in 2025.