Kevin Shim, 21, the son of 300-homer slugger Jung-soo “Hercules” Shim, has been selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arizona selected San Diego State University junior Kevin Shim with the 148th overall pick in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on June 11 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. The contract is worth $421,000 (550 million won).
Through the organization, Shim said, “I trained nonstop with my father, who was a top player. Through this process, I was able to perfect my batting stance. I want to show you a good performance.”
Shim Jong-hyun is the second son of Shim Jeong-soo, a big hitter in the KBO. Shim joined the OB Bears (now Doosan) in 1994 and went on to play for the Hyundai Unicorns and Samsung Lions, batting .287 with 328 home runs in 15 seasons. In 2007, he won the home run title (31). After his retirement, he moved to the United States and studied sports psychology before settling down.
All three of Shim’s sons followed in their father’s footsteps and played baseball. The eldest, Jong-won (Jake) Shim, was born in South Korea and tried out for the KBO in 2020, but was not selected. The second son, Jong-hyun Shim, and the youngest, Eric Shim, who was born in the United States, also learned the game from their father.
Jong-hyun Shim gained a lot of attention in high school. He was named to the All-American team as a sophomore and was highly touted as a potential Major League Baseball (MLB) player. Like his father, he had excellent power. However, the draft was scaled back due to COVID-19, and he turned to college.
Jong-hyun Shim has been performing well since his freshman year. He was recognized for his talent as a two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Week, a 2022 All-Conference First Team selection, and a 2023 All-Conference Second Team selection. This season, she missed the last half of the season due to injury, but still managed to hit .298 with 13 home runs, 40 RBIs, and nine doubles. Her primary position is third base, but she can also play first base, second base, and left field.카지노
Even as a player, Shim wanted to play in the MLB, and his English was good enough to communicate with foreign players. In 2003, he was invited to the Florida Marlins camp along with Lee Seung-yeop and played in a spring training game, batting .307 (4-for-13) with one home run.
Last month, Shim participated in the Draft Combine, which measures physical abilities ahead of the draft. Speaking to MLB.com at the time, Shim said, “I’m living my childhood dream. When I look at my son, I feel like I’m looking at an old photo.” Now it’s time for his son, Jong-hyun Shim, to fulfill his father’s dream.
