It’s always exciting to win an award, and Kim Ha-Sung’s (San Diego) Gold Glove is no different. It’s a first for an infielder, let alone a Korean, and it’s a first for Asia, because in the past, Ichiro was an outfielder.
Why is ‘first Asian infielder’ so compelling?
The Athletics, an American media outlet, highlighted Kim’s award by saying, “The first Asian infielder to win the award.” They also brought up Kim’s past comments.” There are many doubts about Asian infielders in the major leagues because of their low success rate. To be someone who can protect the dreams of Asian kids, that’s the most important thing for me. “
Why haven’t Japanese infielders made it?
While the phrase “first in Asia” is certainly appealing, it also begs the question of why no Asian player has ever come close to winning a Major League Baseball Gold Glove. Japanese baseball players have knocked on the door of the major leagues on numerous occasions, including the so-called Nanda Ginda infielders, but they were gone too soon for success to be labeled. In baseball, an infielder can’t be competitive without defense, and even Japanese players with good defensive fundamentals struggled in the majors. Pitchers’ pitches are faster and batters are hit harder to match, which can be confusing.
Turning defense into an advantage
Kim Ha-seong was selected to the major leagues because of his offense, but he’s one of those players who used his defense to extend his value during the adjustment period. When you can trust your defense, your offense comes alive. He’s created a special path to overcome his anxiety, which has led to other upside.
Why is Ha-Sung Kim a multiplayer?
This year, Kim played 106 games at second base, 32 games at third base, and 20 games at shortstop. MLB.com, a major league baseball website, reported that “Kim has 16 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), including 10 at second base, 3 at third base, and 3 at shortstop,” where DRS is a measure of how many runs a player saves while playing defense.
The Gold Glove is a major league award that recognizes position-specific players based on their defense. Kim was first nominated last year as a finalist in the National League’s second baseman category. This year, he was nominated in both the second base and utility categories and won his first award. 캡틴토토
It’s all about appealing to major league coaches
New last year, the “utility” category recognizes players who defend well at multiple positions rather than playing a specific position – the soccer equivalent of a “multi-player”. Gold Glove winners are voted on by Major League Baseball managers and coaches (75%), with 25% of the vote going to a single season’s defensive record.
In September, Kim told The Athletic: “Winning a Gold Glove in the ‘utility’ category is more important to me. It means that I played Gold Glove-level defense at multiple positions. “