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[이데일리 스타in 임정우 기자] “I feel good to hit the first hit while my parents are watching.”
Kim Ha-seong (26, San Diego Padres), who performed the best in the first starting match in the American professional baseball major league, made this impression. He started as second baseman with 6 batters at the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park in San Diego, California, USA on the 4th (Korean time) and played an active part in four at-bats, two hits, one RBI and one strikeout.
Kim Ha-seong, who struck out one at-bat in the opening game, was the first to be on the starting list in the third game after the team’s opening. Ha-sung Kim did not miss this opportunity. He recorded his first hit, his first RBI, and his first multi-hit in his major league debut. San Diego, who won 7-0 amidst Kim Ha-sung’s performances, ran their opening 3 consecutive wins.
In a video interview with a local reporter after the game, Kim Ha-seong laughed brightly, saying, “It feels good to be able to play in the stadium I dreamed of.”
When Kim Ha-sung’s first hit came out, home fans gave a standing ovation. The teammates at Dougout were as happy as their own. In particular, Manny Machado received the first hitting ball from Kim Ha-Sung and then threw another ball into the audience with his right hand while holding the ball in his left hand.
Ha-seong Kim said, “I haven’t seen that scene. I want to see them quickly, so I want to come to the stadium quickly.”
On this day, Kim Ha-sung’s parents visited Petco Park to watch his son’s major league performance. Kim Ha-seong said, “My family was hoping to be as good as I was,” and “I feel better because I hit the first hit while my parents are watching.”
Ha-sung Kim also expressed his determination to continue the upward trend. He emphasized, “I think that once I do my best, I will have an opportunity to continue playing the game.”