Lee Ho-joon, who was the hitting coach until last year, is involved in more than just hitting this year as the QC (Quality Control) coach.
During spring training, one of his main tasks is to develop big-hitting prospect Kim Bum-seok (20). Manager Yoon Kyung-yeop asked Lee to provide intensive guidance to Kim.
On the 5th (KST), LG Spring Training in Scottsdale, Arizona, USA. As the players practiced batting practice in the batting cage, Coach Lee stood on the sidelines and watched, then called Kim Bum-seok aside.
The coach tossed Kim a ball and gave him some hitting advice. “If you just hit it with your head, it’s a home run,” “Just hit it with your head,” “Just hit it with your head,” “Just hit it with your head,” “Just feel it…it doesn’t matter how the ball flies,” and so on.
When Kim entered the batting cage following his batting order again, his swing was immediately criticized. The coach scolded him, “Beom-sik (I call him Beom-sik on purpose), what are you doing?” He said, “You’re hitting well without any effort, but what if you start to put effort back in? The shots he hit with more force were shorter and of poorer quality.
After listening to the coach, Kim Bum-seok took a light swing and sent the ball over the outfield fence. The coach continued, “If you just take it easy, it’s a home run, so go for it.” Kim’s relaxed swing resulted in the ball either clearing the outfield fence or hitting the fence for a one-base hit.
Kim joined LG in the first round (7th overall) of the 2023 draft. After joining the team, he did not participate in the first team spring training last year because he was rehabilitating his shoulder, which he injured in his senior year of high school.
Participating in the first team spring training for the first time, Kim said, “It’s good to train in a warm place. The environment is good, the baseball field is good, and the weight facility is good,” he said of his first camp.
“What coaches Lee Ho-joon, Mo Chang-min, and Choi Seung-jun have in common is that they tell me to swing the bat short and not spread out. I’m trying to see where the ball is going to hit, and I’m trying to 토토사이트 hit with a little bit of pressure on the ball. Last year I was a little late to the fastball. I’m working a lot on shortening my bat,” he explained.
Kim has power and the ability to make contact. Among hitters his age, he definitely has good hitting talent. He hit the most home runs (10) in high school since using a wooden bat in his third year at Gyeongnam High School. LG drafted him in the first round with high hopes and has been pampering him for a year.
Bum-seok Kim had a brief stint with the first team last year and got some big-league experience in the Korean Series. He played exclusively as a designated hitter in the Futures League. In 58 games in the Futures League, Kim batted 28-for-56 (196 at-bats) with six home runs, 31 RBIs, and a .789 OPS. He earned MVP honors at the Futures League All-Star Game with a big home run.
He made his first-team debut in June and was recalled in October, going 1-for-1 in 10 games with three doubles and one home run in 27 at-bats. He also made the roster for the Korean Series, where he pinch-hit once and went 1-for-1. This will be his first full season. His shoulder is 100 percent healthy and he has been working on catching and first base defense. Manager Yoon Kyung-yeop plans to give Kim a chance as a backup catcher and backup first baseman.