“When I come to Arizona, I just feel comfortable. It feels like coming home.”
On the 20th, when the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Korean baseball team and professional baseball KIA held a practice match, a welcome face appeared at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, USA. It was Kim Byung-hyun (44), who played an active role as a finishing pitcher in Arizona in the American professional baseball Major League (MLB). Kim Byung-hyun, who runs a hamburger shop and appears in various entertainment programs, visited the stadium with the broadcasting team of an entertainment program that day.먹튀검증
Arizona is where Byung-Hyun Kim spent his golden years in baseball. In 1999, when he was attending Sungkyunkwan University, he joined Arizona with a contract payment of 2.25 million dollars (approximately 2.9 billion won), the highest ever for a Korean player. From his first year of debut, he jumped to the starting lineup, and in 2001, he wore a World Series championship ring while wearing an Arizona uniform. He was named an All-Star in 2002 when he earned 36 saves.
There are many memories in the Kino Sports Complex, the national team’s training ground. From 1999 when he was a rookie to the early 2000s, Arizona’s spring camp was here. During an exhibition game held here on March 25, 2001, a dove was killed by a fastball thrown by legendary left-handed pitcher Randy Johnson. Kim Byung-hyun said, “I have a lot of personal memories and a lot of meaning.”
Kim Byung-hyun, who was also a member of the 1st WBC quarterfinals in 2006, did not spare his juniors affectionate advice. In particular, he praised Kwak Bin (24, Doosan) for his perfect pitching against 5 hitters in one inning that day. He said, “In international competitions, pitchers should throw like Gwak Bin. It is better to catch an outcount within a small number of pitches with aggressive pitching. He said, “If the pitcher lacks confidence, the fielders will also be shaken.” Regarding Lee Jeong-hoo (25, Kiwoom), who is aiming to advance to the MLB after this season, “I am not worried because I am a good player from the beginning. I wish he would have played without thinking too far away,” he said.