SPOTV commentator Lee Sung-woo evaluated KIA captain and second baseman Kim Sun-bin (34)’s defense with two outs and runners on first and second bases in the bottom of the third inning when it was 0-0 while broadcasting the match between the LG Twins and KIA Tigers on the 13th. Doosan’s Cho Ha-soo pulled KIA starter Kim Gun-guk’s first 143-kilometer fastball, and the ball seemed to penetrate the first and second innings, but Kim Sun-bin was expected to blow away.
However, the speed was not faster than expected as the ball took a little spin. Kim Sun-bin’s diving timing was a little fast. When Kim Sun-bin fell upside down on the ground, Cho Ha-haeng’s ball hit Kim Sun-bin’s right hand without gloves and was slowly deflected into the right outfield. Second baseman Huh Kyung-min lightly scored the first point. 스포츠토토
Doosan later scored three runs with a two-run double for Jose Rojas’ priority. The three points were all Doosan scored on the day, so it was a disappointing moment for KIA. It may be said that Kim Sun-bin did not accurately predict the boundaries of Cho Ha-haeng’s ball, but in reality, most defenders move sensibly in that situation. The recorders declared it as an infield hit by Cho Sang-haeng, not Kim Sun-bin’s mistake, because they thought it was a difficult hit to deal with.
Kim Sun-bin stood up after suffering for a while and played the game until the end. This is the second time that he was hit by a hand while defending this season. In the match against NC in Gwangju on June 17, he had to rest for about three weeks after being directly hit by Jason Martin’s liner hit.
In 117 games this season, Kim Sun-bin recorded 131 hits in 413 at-bats, a batting average of 0.317 46 RBIs, 41 points, and an OPS of 0.735 scoring average of 0.331. Shortly after signing a four-year FA contract of 4 billion won, he played 130-140 games over the past two years after playing only 85 games (2020) due to hamstring issues. However, he played only 117 games again this season. Since the beginning of the season, his ankle has been a little bad, and he even suffered a finger injury.
Nevertheless, the value of Kim Sun-bin’s offense and defense was fully realized this year when he was healthy. His batting average of 0.303 was up 30 percent from 0.287 last year. He had a higher scoring percentage, and he also had seven final hits, the most in the team after Choi Hyung-woo (14). He is also a veteran who plays his part in any batting order. The ability to push right is also the best in Korea. And as seen by his defense on this day, he is still an exemplary captain who does not spare himself in offense and defense.
Kim Hye-sung’s rapid growth and Park Min-woo’s strong performance are no longer considered the best offense and defense and second baseman in Korea. However, he is still an indispensable player for KIA. In the absence of Kim Sun-bin, there were many games where KIA felt empty in offense and defense.
It is true that KIA should make a replacement for this position in the long run. But rebuilding should be natural. Kim Sun-bin’s four-year FA contract of 4 billion won will end at the end of this season. And he is still a necessary player for KIA. One failed diving catch in a very important game is unlikely to cut Kim Sun-bin’s value this winter.