▲Former Kia Tigers coach Kim Seong-hanⓒErotz
Baseball player Kim Seong-han. A right-handed pitcher and fielder. Duck-back hitting method. The Legend of Legends, who marked a milestone in the 43-year history of Korean professional baseball…
Former KIA Tigers coach Kim Seong-han, a Korean professional baseball legend, has published a book containing his life story as a baseball player.
The publication commemoration party for his book, My Life, My Baseball, ‘Growing up at the baseball field and growing up on Mt. Mudeung’ will be held at JS Wedding Convention in Sangmujayo, Seo-gu, Gwangju, at 3 p.m. on November 1.
▲Kim Seong-han during his time as Tigers coachⓒPressian
Kim Seong-han was born in Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do, started playing baseball, and to make matters worse due to difficult family circumstances, his parents passed away when he was in middle school, and he fell into deep wandering.
He recalled that he was able to focus on baseball again after meeting a teacher who was his life-long benefactor, and that he went on to become the star player of the Tigers, a team that brilliantly embellished the early days of Korean professional baseball after playing at Gunsan Commercial High School.
In 1982, the first year of professional baseball, Kim Seong-han of the Haitai (now Kia) Tigers served as a pitcher and batter, recording 10 wins, 10 home runs, and the RBI leader at the same time. He became the first professional baseball player to achieve 20 home runs, 20 stolen bases, and 30 home runs during the regular season. He was MVP twice, home run king three times, and Golden Glove Award five years in a row.
▲Haitai Tigers player Kim Seong-hanⓒKorea Baseball Committee
Although he played a leading role in starting the Tigers’ dynasty era in the early days of professional baseball, the numerous records Kim left behind may have been like bubbles that emerged as he struggled to avoid sinking in the sea of competition called professional sports.
How heartbreaking and hot must have been the trials he endured and the tears he secretly shed. The past footsteps of a person who wanted to achieve his dream of representing the national team, become a banker, and become the head of a decent family were included in the book as memorable sentences for those of us living today.
In the book, author Kim Seong-han said, “As a pitcher, he recorded 10 wins and an ERA of 2.79, and as a hitter, he had a batting average of 0.305, 13 home runs, and 69 RBIs. The nickname he earned was ‘all-rounder,’ but these days, he is known for being a 5-tool or two-edged player. “It feels a bit out of place compared to the words that follow,” he said.
Kim said, “After signing a professional baseball contract with Haitai, I went home to Gunsan and confessed that it was all thanks to my brothers who took care of me, worried about me, and supported me on behalf of my parents who passed away early, and I bowed deeply in gratitude.”
Also, regarding the duck-backed batting posture that everyone remembers when talking about Kim Seong-han, “Following the coach’s advice, I continued experimenting with a lowered stance with my legs spread a little further, and I tried to lower the bat as much as possible to shorten the time from the preparation point to the hitting point as much as possible. A strange posture for swinging the bat was created. “It was the beginning of the famous ‘duckback batting method,’” he added.
▲KBO Legend 40 Kim Seong-hanⓒKorea Baseball Committee
Kim Seong-han’s story evokes memories of those times for those of us living today and tells us about the various values and virtues of life that we have forgotten.
In addition, his book depicts not only his activities as a Tigers player, but also the life of a leader from batting coach to manager, and also contains his gratitude for the support, warm interest, and encouragement of his acquaintances after retirement.
In a phone call with Pressian, writer Kim Seong-han said, “In order to overcome difficult family circumstances, I thought baseball was everything in my life, and I shed sweat, effort, and tears… As a player, coach, and baseball player, I am back in a difficult time of wandering. “I am truly grateful to my teachers, friends, and family who helped me come back,” he said.
Finally, he said, “Baseball player Kim Seong-han was able to exist because of the shouts of support from fans who loved the Tigers beyond Gwangju and the encouragement and love of people around him,” and added, “It is with that gratitude that I have published this book.”
Author Kim Seong-han was the strongest hitter representing Korean professional baseball in the 1980s. Playing for the Haitai Tigers for 14 seasons from 1982 to 1995, he was the home run leader three times, the RBI leader twice, the slugging percentage leader three times, the most hits twice, and the scoring leader once, as well as being the regular season MVP twice, All-Star Game MVP once, and Golden Selected for glove six times.
In addition, he became the first professional baseball player to record 30 home runs and 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season, and in 1982, he was the only player to record 10 wins and more than 10 home runs (13 home runs) while playing as a pitcher and hitter.
After retirement, he served as the last manager of the Haitai Tigers and the first manager of the Kia Tigers. Currently, he comments on CMB Kia Tigers home game broadcasts and appears on various broadcasts such as CMB and KBS, and lives with his neighbors in Gwangju, his second hometown.
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2024-10-29 08:17:00