A five-day break for the first time in 36 years... The scenario second-place Samsung feared most has become reality

[Financial News] The Kia Tigers, who swept through the semi-playoff in dominant fashion, also benefited from autumn rain, securing a major prize: five days of rest, tying the all-time record.
The Kia Tigers completed a 3-0 sweep of the semi-playoff against the LG Twins on the 20th and had originally been scheduled to play Game 1 of the playoffs on the 25th. But rain at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu pushed the game back a day, meaning the Kia squad taking the field on the 26th will have five full days of rest before the showdown.
This is the first such occurrence in 36 years and only the second ever since the semi-playoff system was introduced in 1989, after the Samsung Lions did it in 1990. Compared with Samsung, the semi-playoff winner last year, which rested for three days, and LG, which entered the playoffs in 2024 after just two days off, the value of the rest KIA secured is immense.
Historical postseason data clearly show that ‘rest’ translates directly into ‘victory.’
Of the nine teams that had just one day off after the semi-playoff, only three (33.3%) made it through the playoffs: the Lotte Giants in 1992, the Hanwha Eagles in 2006 and the Doosan Bears in 2013. Even those results came amid exceptional circumstances, such as a particular ace being overworked to an unprecedented degree or the opposition collapsing. By contrast, the other six teams, unable to overcome their physical struggles, were eliminated listlessly amid fatigue.

By contrast, teams with at least three days of rest had markedly different results. Of the 14 teams that entered the playoffs after three days off, half—seven—reached the Korean Series (KS). Five of the seven eliminated teams also fought evenly in grueling series that went all the way to Game 5. And in the five instances in which teams had at least four days off, the Samsung Lions in 1990 and LG in 1998 made it to the KS in emphatic fashion, reaping the full benefits of rest.
In the end, KIA not only minimized wear on its pitching staff with three straight wins in the semi-playoff, but also secured five days of rest with the weather on its side, completely eliminating the ‘physical disadvantage’ that is the biggest Achilles’ heel for a team advancing through the lower rounds.
With KIA now on virtually the same physical footing as Samsung, which finished second in the regular season, advanced directly to the playoffs and has rested well, the matchup has become all the more difficult to predict.
[email protected] Jeon Sang-il Reporter