“It was like watching (Lee) Jong-bum.”
KT manager Lee Kang-cheol met with reporters before the team’s seventh game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against LG at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Saturday and applauded Kim Sang-soo’s infield play the day before, when he exquisitely stole home with a head-first slide.
Kim Sang-soo, who started at shortstop on the 5th, went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs, including his first career home run. After warming up with a single to left in the first inning, he came up with the bases loaded in the third inning and broke the scoreless tie with an RBI single after a stolen base in the outfield. The game-winning hit.
Kim moved to third on Kim Min-hyuk’s subsequent single to right, then scored on Anthony Alford’s grounder to first. First baseman Austin Dean picked up the ball, but Kim made a daring head-first slide to touch home first.
“I came into the dugout and the manager told me I was fast, so I laughed. I don’t think I have slow feet yet,” he laughed, adding, “I thought it would be hard to catch the ball because it was a little on the end. I was a little more aggressive and it paid off.”
Lee, who was particularly surprised by Kim Sang-soo’s goal, said, “It was like watching Jong-beom Lee. I think it was probably Daegu Samsung Electronics when he was in active duty. In the first inning, the batter hit a ball that the third baseman couldn’t move. Third baseman Kim Han-soo (Doosan’s head coach), who caught the ball, threw home without making an error, but Jong-beom quickly came home first. Everyone was surprised,” he recalled.
“Usually, when you slide, some players stop in front of you, and some players gain momentum and run past you quickly. In our case, Anthony Alford was the latter. He’s so bouncy that I tell him to slide a little bit in front.” “Yesterday’s water was really fast, too. “Yesterday, the water was really fast, too. He was sliding and it went through in one go,” he said, giving a thumbs-up.
In a post-match interview, Kim Sang-soo said, “Coach Lee is very good at managing my physical fitness. I’m grateful,” and repeatedly expressed his gratitude to Lee. In response, Lee said, “For the shortstop position, if Kim Sang-soo gets injured, it’s over. So I’m trying to manage him more thoroughly.”스포츠토토
Meanwhile, facing LG ace Casey Kelly, KT had a slightly changed starting lineup of Alford (left fielder), Kim Sang-soo (shortstop), Hwang Jae-gyun (third baseman), Park Byung-ho (first baseman), Moon Sang-chul (designated hitter), Kang Hyun-woo (catcher), Park Kyung-soo (second baseman), Ahn Chi-young (right fielder), and Bae Jeong-dae (center fielder). The starting pitcher is returning ace William Cuevas.