Kim Tae-gun of the Kia Tigers celebrates after hitting an infield single against the Samsung Lions during Game 5 of the Korean Series at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 28, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
GWANGJU, Oct. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Kia Tigers catcher Kim Tae-gun has spent most of his 17-year career in the Korea Baseball Organization with a chip on his shoulder. He has spent several years in the shadow of others.
But in October 2024, Kim, 34, finally had his moment to shine, helping his Tigers to the Korean Series title with his all-around excellence in a five-game victory over the Samsung Lions.
Kim drove in the go-ahead run with his infield single in the Tigers’ 7-5 victory in Game 5 Monday night at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul. They were down 5-1 earlier in the game before Kim completed the comeback.
Kia Tigers closer Jung Hai-young (L) and catcher Kim Tae-gun celebrate after clinching the 2024 Korean Series title with a 7-5 win over the Samsung Lions in Game 5 at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul, on Oct. 28, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
And that wasn’t even the biggest hit for Kim in this series. In the Tigers’ 9-2 victory in Game 4, Kim belted a grand slam, only the fifth in Korean Series history.
Not always known for hitting prowess, Kim led the Tigers with seven RBIs in the Korean Series while batting .353. It would have been good enough for the Korean Series MVP award in most other years, but his teammate Kim Sun-bin beat him by one vote, 46-45, after batting an eye-popping .588 (10-for-17) with three doubles.
Still, being the main catcher of the Korean Series-winning team provided a measure of redemption for Kim. He previously won a title with the NC Dinos in 2020, but he was a backup to All-Star Yang Eui-ji and didn’t play any game in that year’s series.
“It was no fun back then,” Kim recalled, “All I could think of was to try to stay in my lane and not hurt the team. But this year, I felt a bigger sense of responsibility. With this championship, I think people’s perception of me will change.”
The Tigers were regarded as a title favorite from the start of the season and they lived up to their hype. Kim said the preseason favorite status did not bring any added pressure to the Tigers’ clubhouse.
“You would only feel pressure if you don’t meet those expectations. The fact that even other teams saw us as a title contender meant that we deserved to be regarded as one,” Kim said. “We just tried to have fun on the field, and I think that’s why we were able to win this title.”
Kim joined the Lions in December 2021 and then was traded to the Tigers in July 2023. He said he was grateful for the time he’d spent with the Lions because it allowed him to rediscover the joy of baseball and carried those feelings to the Tigers.
“I really wanted to see the Lions in the Korean Series,” Kim said. “I felt so much gratitude toward that team. And if I could beat that team for the championship, I felt it would allow me to grow even further as a player.”
Kim said he didn’t want to be satisfied with just one title with the Tigers and he wants his teammates to feel the same way.
“I absolutely think we can build a dynasty here,” Kim said. “But to do that, we all must have a different mindset. Nothing comes easy. Every one of us has to be aware of where we stand and how we have to prepare for the new season.”
(Yonhap)
