“I’ve always liked the color red, and I like it.”
Now with the KIA Tigers. After starting his professional career with the LG Twins, Kim played for the NC Dinos and Samsung Lions before landing in a KIA uniform. On May 5, Kim joined the KIA roster in a one-for-one trade between KIA and Samsung. He had guessed that it would be a trade. When we met at the Incheon ballpark on the 6th, Kim Tae-gun said, “I had heard that there was talk of a trade before that, but it was only yesterday (the 5th) morning that I heard it. After hearing the news, I first greeted coach Park Jin-man,” he said.메이저사이트
It’s been a long journey. Samsung was playing in Pohang, their second home stadium, so it was a long trip to Incheon. When asked what was on his mind while traveling to Incheon, Kim said, “I didn’t think about anything. The only thing I thought about was that I came because the KIA Tigers needed me, and they chose me. That was the only thing I was thinking about,” he said. Senior catcher Kang Min-ho, who played with him at Samsung, said to the departing Kim Tae-gun, “You will definitely be a great help to me personally. It’s a chance for you to get back on track in your baseball career,” he said.
Fortunately, he has several close friends. “I don’t feel awkward at all with Na Sung-bum, Jang Hyun-sik, and Lee Woo-sung at KIA because we were together in NC, and even with (Choi) Hyung-woo, I’ve seen him since I was a kid, so there’s no awkwardness,” Kim laughed. Yang Hyun-jong, his teammate and first battery mate, also asked him a lot of questions about life in Gwangju. “First of all, my oldest is in school right now, so we’re going to stay separate until this year, and then we’ll decide after this year,” Kim said.
Even before his transfer, Kim was a fan of red items. Even at Samsung, he always wore red socks under his blue uniform. “My first born is a red monkey, so I’ve been wearing red items since then. I love the color red, but now that I’m at Kia, the uniforms seem to fit me quite well, so I’m happy about that,” he laughs.
He knows what is expected of him. Kia needed a solid starting catcher. They gave up all-around infielder Ryu Ji-hyuk to make the trade to bolster their catching staff. Kim Tae-gun is expected to be KIA’s starting catcher this season. “When I was traded to Samsung, it was off-season, and now I’m in-season, so there’s definitely pressure, because the team is in a position to fight for the title. But I will do my best not to be asked, ‘Why did you bring me here? If I can overcome the pressure, I will be able to serve as a ladder for KIA to reach the playoffs this year.”
With all the attention and attention, you can be praised when you do well, but you can also be criticized when you don’t do well. “I’ve been criticized before in my baseball career,” Kim said with confidence. My life hasn’t been easy, and it’s nothing to be criticized like that,” he said. He will be eligible for free agency after this season. When asked about his personal hopes, he said, “When I was a free agent, there were misunderstandings. I hope I can do really well this year and have a really good outcome in my second free agency,” he said honestly.