National League Wild Card San Diego 3rd Place
Returning to baseball fall after 2 years, Kim Ha-seong’s first experience
Kim Ha-seong celebrates with a multiple hit with his 11th home run of the season
Ha-seong Kim (27, San Diego Padres) is K-Major League Baseball’s 4th hitter in the major league fall.
Kim Ha-sung had two hits in four at-bats including one home run in a home game against the Chicago White Sox held at Petco Park in San Diego, California on the 3rd (Korea time) on the 3rd (Korea time) . Kim Ha-seong, who recorded his 28th multi-hit of the season, slightly increased his batting average to .249.
In particular, Kim Ha-seong’s season 11 cannon, which blasted Lance Lin’s first ball over the fence 127 meters in the 7th inning, was a celebration of his entry into the postseason after two years of advancing to the leagues big San Diego lost 1-2 on the day, but secured the third wild card spot, the final spot in the fall baseball season, as the Milwaukee Brewers, fourth in the NL wild card, lost to the Miami Marlins . San Diego was invited to the fall feast again after two years. San Diego will begin the wild card series away from home (best out of 3) with one of the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, and St. Louis Cardinals from the 8th.
Kim Ha-seong, who had a hard time adjusting to the big leagues in his first year, did not miss the opportunity that came this year because of the injury to shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and the drugs scandal. In particular, it is not an exaggeration to say that he led the team to the postseason with the best defense in the big leagues.
Kim Ha-seong is the fifth Korean major league hitter to step on the postseason stage. Choi Hee-seop (43, KIA Tigers coach), who played in the National League Division Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004, was the first. However, at that time, Choi Hee-seop was hitless in only one at-bat, and the first Korean major league hit was recorded by Choo Shin-soo (40, SSG Landers), who played for the Cincinnati Reds on at the time in 2013. Shin-soo Choo hit a home run in the National League Wild Card Series with the then Pittsburgh Pirates, sweeping the first Korean major league hits, home runs, RBIs and runs. Shinsoo Choo also played fall baseball for the Texas Rangers in 2015 and 2016, batting .222, 2 homers, and 4 RBI in 7 games. Kim Hyun-soo (34, LG Twins) played in the American League Wild Card Series wearing a Baltimore Orioles uniform in 2016, but ended up having no hits in four at-bats.
Choi Ji-man (31, Tampa Bay Rays), the only active Korean major league outfielder with postseason experience, led the team to the World Series the following year after his debut in 2019. This is the only World Series appearance among Korean fielders.
If Kim Ha-sung hits this time, it will be the fourth Korean major leaguer. This is because Hyun-jin Ryu (35, Toronto Blue Jays), ‘Babe Ruth’, hit one hit each in the 2018 Division Series with Atlanta and Milwaukee and the Championship Series with the Dodgers in 2018.
By Hong Ji-min, staff reporter
