"Exactly 72 Hours to Surpass Lee Seung-yup": Kim Do-young, Chased by Rain Cancellations, Embarks on 3-Game Series for New Record

[Financial News] With a historic record within his grasp, even the heavens are handing down a cruel trial. The clock has been forcibly stopped by the merciless autumn rain for 'Superstar' Kim Do-young (22, KIA Tigers), who is just one home run away from becoming the youngest player in KBO history to hit 40 home runs. Now, he has only three games left to surpass the 'legend' Lee Seung-yup.
Kim Do-young took a big step closer to achieving a major record by hitting his 39th home run of the season against the Lotte Giants in Gwangju on the 26th of last month. However, the rain that has poured down since then has been holding him back. With the game against the NC Dinos in Changwon on the 3rd being postponed due to rain, as many as four out of the seven games scheduled since the end of August (against Lotte on August 27, against SSG on the 28th and 30th, and against NC on September 3rd) have been canceled due to rain. Amidst the erratic schedule, his excellent batting rhythm has been broken, and he has been maintaining a deep silence in his last three games, going 1-for-8.

Above all, time is not waiting for Kim Do-young. Kim Do-young, born on October 2, 2003, must hit the ball over the fence by the upcoming 6th to break the all-time record for the youngest player to hit 40 home runs (22 years, 11 months, 5 days), set by Lee Seung-yup in 1999.
The problem is that the opponent for the three-game series from the 4th to the 6th is the KT Wiz. Although Kim Do-young has appeared in 9 games against KT this season and is batting .286 (10 hits in 35 at-bats), he has only managed to hit a single home run. This is the lowest number of home runs against any team, making them a rather difficult opponent to use as the victim for a major record.

Nevertheless, the hopes of the Tigers and their fans remain steadfast. This is because the remaining three crucial games will all be held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, the "promised land" most familiar to Kim Do-young. Of the 39 home runs he has launched this season, more than half—21—have been hit at his home stadium in Gwangju. He boasts overwhelming destructive power at Champions Field, with a home run production rate of 0.37 per home game.
In addition, the rain clouds that had been disrupting Kim Do-young's momentum are also expected to bypass Gwangju. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, there is no rain forecast for the Gwangju area from the 4th to the 6th, so optimal ground conditions are expected to be prepared for the challenge to break the record.
Can they overcome the cruel tricks of the heavens and surpass Lee Seung-yup's 27-year-old record? Three fateful games that will decide the new history of Korean baseball are set to begin at Champions Field.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter