“The juniors should learn from him”.
Kia Tigers manager Kim Jong-guk hailed the performance of transfer catcher Kim Tae-gun (34), saying the younger catchers have a lot to learn from him. It was an order to absorb the know-how of a veteran catcher who went through a tough time in Shenzhen.
Kim was acquired through a trade with Samsung on May 5. He became the starting catcher and led the team to a five-game winning streak. He helped the pitchers pitch well with stable leads and defense.
In particular, he batted well in the bottom of the order and had five hits and four RBIs. With his outgoing personality, he was able to fit right into the team’s atmosphere.
Before the Samsung Lions’ game against Gwangju on November 11, Kim said of Tae-gun, “I have nothing but praise for him. The pitchers trust his experience and feel comfortable throwing with his lead. The other catchers had good qualities but no experience. The pitchers’ strikeouts have decreased a lot and they have become stable,” he said.
He also attributed the success of Mario Sanchez, who had an impressive debut with 6⅔ innings of one-run ball against the Suwon KT on Sept. 9, to Kim’s lead. “Sanchez threw confident pitches, but he doesn’t know the strengths and weaknesses of domestic hitters. Tae-gun did a good job of leading off,” he said.
He also called for the younger catchers to step up. As a 16-year veteran catcher, he has accumulated a lot of experience and has his own catching know-how. If the catchers in the second team, including Han Joon-soo, a promising catcher in the first team, also have a strong know-how, it could lead to faster growth. This is another effect of Kim Tae-gun.
“When (second catcher) Han Jun-soo trains with me, we talk a lot,” Kim said. He told me about his experiences and how he prepares for games. He has to learn a lot of tricks. I want the other catchers to learn from him when they come up to the first team. You can learn a lot by talking and bumping into each other.”안전놀이터
Meanwhile, Kim Tae-gun visited the Samsung dugout after the game was canceled due to heavy rain and was happy to see his old teammates. Interim captain Koo Ja-rook presented him with a photo from his Samsung days. “I was happy and grateful to be with you, and I will always support you,” he wrote.