It was just a game for Kim Do-young (21, KIA Tigers). The world is paying attention to Kim Do-young's one-man show that saved the Premier 12 national team.

The baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Joong-il (61), beat Cuba 8-4 in the second Group B match of the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 at Tianmu Baseball Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan, at 6 p.m. on the 14th (local time).메이저사이트

With the win, Korea has tied the Dominican Republic with one win and one loss in the group qualifying round. If Korea wins its third match against Japan at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, it will have hope to advance to the Super Round in Tokyo.

Kim Do-young was by far the best player in the national team. Playing as the third batter and third baseman of the Korean national team, Kim displayed his best performance by making three hits (two homers) from four times at bat (five RBIs and two runs scored). At the match against Taiwan held on the previous day (Sept. 13), the entire team had only three hits, but Kim Do-young alone had three hits on the day.

On the day, Korea faced off against Livan Moinello, the No. 1 ERA in the Pacific League of the Japanese professional baseball league. Boasting fastballs with speeds of up to 158 kilometers per hour, Kim has recorded 11 wins, 5 losses and 155 strikeouts with an ERA of 1.88 during 163 innings this year. Of course, he was not expected to be able to strike the ball, and Kim Do-young also struck out in the first inning.

However, the team did not fail twice. In the bottom of the second inning, Korea garnered two runs due to Choi Won-joon's infield hit and Shin Min-jae's throwing dune after two outs. Kim Do-young then continued to hit Monello's fastball at 150 kilometers per hour. The hit continued to stretch, becoming a grand slam that crosses the left fence. It was such a hit that Cuban outfielders couldn't even move.

In the fifth inning, Kim entered the batter's box with one out, and had a hit that fell to the right-center. It could have been a single hit, but he upgraded it to a double through bold base running. He also led the batter to a balk to advance to the third base.

Afterwards, Kim became a troubleshooter at bat. After finishing the seventh inning with one out, Kim hit a solo home run that flew over the left fence once again. As Kim lost his first point in the top of the seventh inning when he made two errors in defense, he needed to change the mood, but he managed to solve the problem. After the game, Cuban coach Armando Johnson praised Kim, saying, "He has good batting skills, is strong, and he looks like he will do well in the future."

Korea is not the only country that paid attention to Kim Do-young's outstanding performance. John Morosi of MLB Network, who visited Taiwan for commentary on the Premier 12, said, "The Doeong Kim Game." It meant Kim Do-young's one-man show. "Kim Do-young blocked long balls with a grand slam, a double, and two outstanding defense on the third base," he said. "He became a world-class star tonight."

MLB network John Morosi delivers the results of the Korea-Cuba match on the 14th. /Photo = John Morosi X (formerly Twitter) Goodbye

The host country Taiwan also mentioned Kim Do-young's stellar performance, and the Japanese portal site Yahoo Japan, which will meet with Korea on the 15th, once ranked No. 1 on the real-time search ranking. It was truly an "insane performance."

Earlier, MLB.com , the official website of the Major League Baseball (MLB), mentioned Kim Do-young as a "player to watch in the Premier 12" and said, "He will threaten all pitchers facing Korea's batters." Taiwan's Yahoo Sports also said, "Pitchers around the world cannot ignore not only Kim's slugging power but also the 90 percent success rate of stolen bases."

Kim Do-young herself confessed, "I think such articles are more interesting and interesting than other articles. I always go in more." "When I see such things, I want to do well this time," she said.

Kim, who is in his third year this year, posted a batting average of 0.347 (189 hits in 544 times at bat) in 141 games during the 2024 season, 38 homers, 109 RBIs, 143 runs and 40 steals, and an on-base percentage of 0.647 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) of 1.067. Kim's 40 (homer)-40 (homer) failed for the first time as a Korean player, but he became a strong candidate for MVP by leading his team to a combined championship. He is displaying his capability in the national team as well.