Two years ago, Kim Ha-seong, 28, was contemplating returning to South Korea, but now he is enjoying a glorious period as an “irreplaceable” player for the San Diego Padres.
On Thursday (Nov. 4), Kim was named San Diego’s representative for the 2023 Heart and Hustle Award. The award, presented by the Major League Baseball Retired Players Association (MLBPAA), recognizes an active player who best embodies the values, spirit and traditions of baseball while demonstrating a passion for the game.
It’s the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by retired players, with one representative from each team. After the season, former and current players vote to select one of the 30 finalists. Kim is the second Korean player to be nominated for the award since its inception in 2005, joining Choo Shin-soo (SSG Landers). Shin-soo Choo has been honored twice before, in 2010 with the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians) and in 2013 with the Cincinnati Reds.
The award recognizes the most dedicated and work ethic players on a team. San Diego also posted a poster on their social media, saying, “Congratulations to Ha-Sung Kim on being named the Padres’ 2023 Heart & Hustle Award winner. Kim also posted the poster on his own social media, writing, “This means a lot to me,” along with a smiley face emoji.
Kim, whose trademark is his helmet coming off when he sprint, has earned the love of fans and the trust and respect of his teammates for his unselfish play in the air. While San Diego has many star players, this award is especially fitting for Kim.
The local San Diego Union-Tribune shared the news, saying, “All things considered, Kim could be the Padres’ MVP. The way he plays is definitely getting rave reviews.
‘In his third year with the Padres after leaving South Korea, Kim has moved from shortstop to second base and is hitting a career-high .284/.380/.458 slash line with 15 home runs. In addition to his career-high in stolen bases (22), Kim is also sixth overall in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) with 14 and first among second basemen with 10.
It was unthinkable in 2021, his first year in the major leagues. “The first year was really, really hard, and I was thinking, ‘Should I give up and go back to Korea,'” said Kim, who appeared alongside Choi Ji-joon (San Diego) in a YouTube personal broadcast by former major leaguer Kang Jeong-ho that was uploaded on the third of this month. “Why couldn’t I give up then, because I was so broken that even if I went back to Korea, I wouldn’t be able to play baseball like I did in Korea. I was so psychologically and mentally broken,” he recalled.
In his first year in 2021, Kim was a backup. In 117 games (63 starts) without a fixed position, he batted just 2-for-54 (267 at-bats) with eight home runs, 34 RBIs, and a .622 OPS. Kim said, “(Kang) Jung-ho-hyung opened the way for me to post, so I got a good contract. I was a little scared that the next guys after me would come to the U.S. as post, and I might be the reference point. Especially in the first year, I was like, ‘What if they can’t come anymore because of me?'” he said.카지노사이트
There were times when he seriously considered returning to Korea, but he didn’t give up. Last year, he seized the opportunity to play as Fernando Tatis Jr’s assistant, and this year, despite a position change, he has made the leap from an offensive player to one of the top players in the league. The path that Kim Ha-seong has paved will be followed by junior players this winter, starting with Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom Heroes), who will benefit greatly.