The World Baseball Softball Federation (WBSC) Premier 12 2024 is expected to be remembered as a springboard for Korean baseball icon Kim Do-young (KIA Tigers) to play for a bigger stage.
The Korean national baseball team failed to advance to the super round, which it had targeted, but Kim Do-young made the hearts of domestic baseball fans jump by swinging fire bats against world-class pitchers.
Kim Do-young also seemed to have a new dream and goal in her mind.
Kim Do-young met with reporters at Incheon International Airport's arrival hall on the 19th when the national baseball team returned home and said, "I have a final dream," adding, "I've been wondering if I'll work (in the international competition), but now I know a little."
He expressed his expectations for the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), in which Major League Baseball (MLB) players will participate.
"WBC is the biggest international baseball competition," Kim said. "I'm still young, but I want to participate. If I can participate, I want to get a good result."
As a regular third batter of the national team, Kim led the team with a batting average of 0.417 (7 hits in 17 at-bats), three homers and 10 RBIs. Among the seven hits, Kim had five hits (two doubles and three homers), showing off his formidable slugging capability. 스포츠토토
Even after getting on base, Kim Do-young shook the opponent's battery with his fast feet and showed perfect performance by playing stable without making a big mistake in defense.
Notably, he was not outdone against top-rated pitchers at all. In the game against Taiwan, he hit a double over the left field against starting pitcher Lin Yeo-min, who plays in the minor league under the Arizona Diamondbacks, and in the game against Cuba, he hit a grand slam at the sacrifice of Livan Monello, who ranked first in the ERA of the Pacific League in the Japanese professional baseball this year.
Kim Do-young, who showed the best performance, stressed that she will pursue her dream in a low-key manner. "There were many good players in this competition, and it was an honor to play with high-quality players," Kim said. "I felt that I lacked in some aspects, and I was disappointed in my team's performance. I will continue to grow further."
Kim Do-young, who finished her 2024 schedule, plans to take a breather in Korea for the time being and prepare for the 2025 season.