KIA Tigers' Kim Do-young, 23, shared his thoughts ahead of the first game of the playoffs (best of five) against the Samsung Lions.
According to Yonhap News on the 25th, Kim spoke with reporters after the playoff opener, originally scheduled to take place at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, was canceled due to rain.
Kim stated, "I believe that taking a break resets all my senses. This time, I only took one day off and came out for voluntary training to maintain my feel. I prepared the same way before the playoffs, and it worked well, so I kept my routine."
He noted that he is not overly concerned about the home run-friendly characteristics of Samsung Lions Park, saying, "If I focus on each at-bat, home runs will come naturally, so I don't specifically think about hitting home runs. However, given the park's nature, I can't let my guard down until the final out in the ninth inning."
Kim added, "I analyzed the Samsung pitchers the same way I did during the regular season. Instead of adding anything special, I focused on maintaining my feel."
He also mentioned, "How we handle veteran Choi Hyung-woo will determine the outcome. From our perspective, it might be better if he comes in as a pinch hitter rather than facing him multiple times as a starter."
Kim acknowledged that teams coming up from the lower leagues may have disadvantages in terms of stamina, but he expressed confidence in his team's condition, saying, "Our players are in good shape, and the team atmosphere is really positive. If we can maintain our hitting feel, we can definitely play well."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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