“Giving up homers and growing weary of the red roar” ... What Samsung truly fears is KIM Do-young’s “enormous ripple effect”

[Financial News] The despair of knowing what was coming and still getting beaten sent the defending champions home early.
Just before the semi-playoffs, LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb warned that “neutralizing KIM Do-young is the key to the series.” But the result came back as the most brutal ending possible: a comeback game-winning homer and an insurance homer in Game 1, followed by a 145-meter grand slam in Game 3.
Now that immense terror is advancing into the Lions’ den in Daegu. The Samsung Lions, who finished second in the regular season, secured a direct berth in the playoffs (PO) early and conserved their strength, but they now face their most troublesome and daunting opponent. The source of Samsung’s fear is none other than KIM Do-young (23, KIA Tigers), fully awakened as the “master of clutch moments.”
KIM Do-young’s bat is swinging in a far more bizarre and frightening way than when he won the regular-season home run title. His numbers over the last 10 games: 10 hits in 36 at-bats, for a .278 average. They look ordinary at first glance, but the detailed stats are unreal: a staggering seven of those 10 hits were home runs. Including the game-winning homer in the regular-season finale against LG, which effectively decided third place, four of his seven homers during this stretch were game-winning hits. He has piled up 22 RBIs alone.
All three of his hits in the three semi-playoff games have cleared the fence. Managing his batting average is the last thing on his mind. He has completely transformed into a “clutch performer” who, when an opportunity arises, destroys a game in the most ruthless and complete fashion.

The pressure Samsung feels is even greater than LG’s. KIM Do-young hit a staggering nine home runs against Samsung this season, tied for the most along with his total against the Kiwoom Heroes. Samsung’s pitchers were battered all season without finding a clear way to stop him. To make matters worse, Daegu Samsung Lions Park, where the playoffs will be held (171 home runs this season), and Gwangju-Kia Champions Field (172) are among the KBO League’s most hitter-friendly, home-run-producing parks. KIM Do-young has also hit four homers in nine road games in Daegu. Samsung’s pitchers will have to take the mound with the unsettling knowledge that one small mistake could hand over the momentum of the entire series.
But the real fear Samsung must guard against lies elsewhere. The intimidation KIM Do-young is generating now extends beyond the batter’s box. With a single word, he rallied 10,000 people around a “red dress code” in one day—something even the club’s marketing department could not pull off. At the player’s urging, the third-base stands at Jamsil turned bright red, and KIM Do-young responded perfectly to the fans’ unwavering support with a 145-meter grand slam. The player leads the fanbase, and the united fans in turn energize the player: an explosive virtuous cycle. And the atmosphere that flares up from it. That is the enormous intangible weapon Samsung must hold back at home in Daegu.


Samsung manager Park Jin-man has already voiced extreme caution, saying KIM “put in a performance worthy of a superstar.” In a short series, early control of the game and a single decisive blow can swallow the entire series. If Samsung cannot stop KIM Do-young, it will also have to withstand the Tigers’ follow-up barrage, led by Na Sung-bum and Castro.
Nine homers against Samsung this season. Seven of his 10 hits were home runs, and he had 22 RBIs over the last 10 games. And an enormous ripple effect that reaches all the way into the stands. LG failed to stop the 23-year-old genius. Now Samsung faces the test of that terrifying threat.
KIA is not a team with a weak lineup. Simply avoiding KIM Do-young is not an answer. Unlike other home-run hitters, he is incredibly fast. Once he gets on base, the probability of scoring rises exponentially. In the end, he must be stopped, not avoided. Many experts agree that if he cannot be contained, the advantage in this series is likely to shift to KIA.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter