KBO club manager pleased with young players' progress in preseason

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, March 28 (Yonhap) -- As the preseason nears its conclusion, Kiwoom Heroes manager Hong Won-ki is looking past his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club's win-loss record and is instead looking at the big picture.

A little over a dozen games in, Hong said Tuesday he has liked what he has seen from his young players.

In a media scrum before the Heroes' final preseason game against the Doosan Bears at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Tuesday, Hong was particularly effusive about rookie catcher Kim Dong-hyun. Kim was batting .294 with four RBIs in 12 games and has won praise from the pitching staff.

"He is a really talented hitter, and even though he's young, he is a very steady presence behind the plate," Hong said of the 18-year-old. "I think some of the older pitchers have taken a liking to him. I think rookies today come in with really good baseball sense. They may not be that much better than older guys in terms of techniques, but they have a high baseball IQ."

Hong said he is also happy to see right-hander Byun Si-won back in the KBO, after spending the last year in exile in amateur ball. The former second-round pick had pitched for the Doosan Bears from 2012 to 2018, and for the Kia Tigers in 2018.

"It seems like he hasn't missed a beat," Hong said of Byun, who threw five shutout innings in four appearances before Tuesday. "He has really stood out for our pitching staff this spring."

Hong said the preseason is part of the preparation for the regular season where he consciously tries to identify the strengths of his roster.

"The goal is to try to make the most of the strengths of the team," Hong said. "So far, I've been able to see a lot of positive things."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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