‘National Master’ Coach Kim In-sik, “Players must be humble,” a stinging comment

In the new year of Gapjin, many changes and efforts are still needed for the 2024 season to maintain its reputation. MHN Sports talked with representatives of each division, starting with baseball elders, about what needs to be done for the development of Korean baseball this year and what needs to be improved.

Gapjin Year's Valuable Baseball ① Stinging advice from 'national great' coach Kim In-sik

Coach Kim In-sik started with the Ssangbangwool Raiders in 1990 and served as the head coach of the OB-Doosan Bears and Hanwha Eagles. In particular, he is still remembered as a 'national master' by leading the baseball team's performance in numerous international competitions, including the 2002 Busan Asian Games, 2006 WBC, 2009 WBC and 2015 Premier 12.

Coach Kim In-sik said through MHN Sports on the 3rd, "I think the most important thing is student baseball. A tree can only bear fruit if its roots are strong, but amateur baseball, the root of Korean baseball, is still poor and feels hidden." He expressed concern.

At the same time, he said, “It is surprising that players who will brighten Korean baseball appear occasionally, such as Lee Jeong-hoo (6 years, $113 million), who recently signed with the San Francisco Giants. However, I do not think the overall level of Korean baseball has improved compared to the past.” added.

In the end, former coach Kim's opinion is that since there was no progress in amateur baseball, the KBO League, a higher-level organization, also failed to make progress.

Former coach Kim said, "Of course, the technical aspect is important, but the most important thing is a humble attitude. I think the same goes for the celebratory gesture that a certain player showed at an international competition last year, and I think it came from not being humble." He added, "Japan's Shohei Otani “In addition to his baseball skills, he is famous for his character and humble attitude. In Korean baseball, there must be players with both character and humility,” he expressed.

He continued, "Ultimately, we have to learn this humble attitude from high school baseball, that is, AMA baseball. Discipline and corporal punishment are different. If sincere education from coaches is added to help student baseball players walk the right path, Korean baseball will also produce major leaguers every year. “We will have an environment where we can do it,” he added. 

Manager Kim In-sik also said, “I am worried” about the Korean pitching staff. Former manager Kim said, "Compared to the past, we are seeing a lot of fastball pitchers with faster pitches. However, there is still a lack of pitchers with pitcher defense skills such as precise ball control and handling of batted balls in check." 

He also said, “The reason why pitchers like Seon Dong-yeol, Song Jin-woo, and Koo Dae-seong rose to the ranks of the best pitchers is not because they pitched fast. It was because they showed ball control and stable pitcher defense.” He added, “I hope that pitchers will not focus only on the speed of the ball, but pay more attention to precision.” He added. 

Despite the voices of concern, there was a player who received high praise from coach Kim In-sik. This is Moon Dong-ju of the Hanwha Eagles. Moon Dong-ju is the player who played the biggest role in the national team winning the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games held last year. He appeared as a starting pitcher in the final against Chinese Taipei, pitching 6 innings without allowing any runs, and also took on the role of starter in the first game against Australia at the APBC, allowing 2 runs in 5⅔ innings, and is expected to be the next starting pitcher for the national team. 

Former coach Kim praised him, saying, "Moon Dong-ju's good pitch in the last Asian Games was the best pitch. His ball speed and ball control were outstanding, and most importantly, his ability to run the inning stood out." Here, he pointed out, "It is clear that Moon Dong-ju is a pitcher who will lead the national team in the future. Korean baseball needs to have more players like this to be competitive in international competitions." 

The 2024 KBO League is expected to introduce many changes. New systems such as the automatic ball strike judgment system (ABS, robot referee) and pitch clock will begin this season. In particular, in the case of ABS, the KBO League became the first in the world to introduce it.

However, coach Kim In-sik said, "I see it as an unknown factor," and then added, "Aren't there many mistakes made while implementing the ABS system in amateur baseball and the KBO Futures League? Considering that it is being introduced even though there are still risk factors, isn't it just that they are trying to get ahead of themselves? “I’m thinking about it,” he said worriedly.

He also said, “Performance in international competitions is directly related to league popularity. ABS is not used in the major leagues and international competitions, and I am very concerned that our players will appear confused about the strike zone when they face human umpires again in international competitions. “It is good to bring about change, but we must keep in mind that hasty decisions can actually lead to a crisis,” he added. 

Lastly, coach Kim In-sik expected good performance in the 2024 Premier 12, which will be held in November this year. "8 million spectators is not just a number. If the KBO League is to continue to receive love from fans, this year's international performance is very important. If the humble attitude of the players and the sophisticated performance of the pitchers are added, we can achieve good results in this Premier 12. “You will be able to see it,” he said.

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