“It was like watching Lee Jong-beom.”
KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol’s surprise became a hot topic. In the top of the third inning of the game against the LG Twins in Jamsil on May 5, third baseman Kim Sang-soo rushed home on Alford’s grounder in front of the first baseman, resulting in a save, and as he was returning to the dugout, Lee was caught on camera with a surprised expression on his face.
When asked about the scene before the LG game on June 6, Lee said, “I thought it was an out, but it was a safe. It was like seeing Lee Jong-beom.”
“When the catcher made the catch, it looked like an out from the bench, but when the catcher dropped the mitt, Kim Sang-soo crossed home plate,” Lee said. ‘Son of the Wind’ Lee Jong-beom, the current LG infield coach, recalled a moment from his days with the Haetae. “It was a game against Samsung, and when Lee Jong-bum was on third base, he ran home on a grounder in front of the third baseman. The ball wasn’t slow, and I think the third baseman at the time was Kim Hansu (now Doosan’s head coach), but he caught it accurately and threw it home normally. Even then, when the ball came to the catcher, I thought it was an out, but while the catcher was coming down to tag him, Lee Jong-bum crossed home plate.” “Some players lose speed when sliding, but Lee Jong-bum and Kim Sang-soo seem to have more speed due to their momentum,” he said.스포츠토토
At 33 years old, Kim Sang-soo is a veteran, but he still has quick feet, having led the Samsung dynasty with 53 stolen bases in 2014. “I don’t think I have slow feet yet,” Kim laughed about his home dash in the third inning.
Kim Sang-soo, who is playing full-time as the starting shortstop for the first time in a long time, said, “The manager is very considerate and takes me out early when the score is close,” adding that he has no physical problems yet. In response, Lee said, “I’m more sorry that he keeps talking about me in interviews when I haven’t done anything for him,” and added, “We don’t have a shortstop other than Kim Sang-soo. If he’s out, it’s over. That’s why I try to manage Kim Sang-soo thoroughly. I try to take him out first when the game is won.”
At KT, they always say, “What if we hadn’t signed Kim Sang-soo? He can play defense and hit, and he’s quick on his feet. It is said that signing him for 2.9 billion won over four years is a ‘hyeja’ contract.
