Orioles’ OF Kim Hyun-soo to enjoy his first MLB season

SARASOTA, Florida, Feb. 25 (Yonhap) — In South Korea, Kim Hyun-soo is called “Hitting Machine” for his consistent high-level performance in batting. The Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball (MLB), which Kim recently joined under a two-year contract worth US$7 million, now also introduce the 28-year-old outfielder with the nickname “Machine” on their website.

Kim, who posted his best power numbers at 28 home runs and 121 RBIs with the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) last year, said Wednesday he wants to keep that nickname, but everything has a question mark because now he is a MLB rookie.

“I want to keep that image (of ‘Hitting Machine’), but you never know until you try it,” Kim said at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida, where the Orioles have started their full spring training. “I don’t know how my numbers will come out or how I will be used in the game.”

Kim, who bats left and throws right, made his pro debut with the Bears as an undrafted walk-on in 2006. Since then, he has emerged as one of the best hitters in South Korea.

Kim is a career .318 hitter in the KBO, holding the second-highest batting average among all active players with at least 3,000 plate appearances. He also has a career on-base percentage of .406, with 597 walks against 501 strikeouts in 1,131 career games.

Kim’s career numbers in the KBO have drawn big expectations from American fans for his first season in the majors. But the 2008 KBO batting champion said that he isn’t stressed about people’s eyes.

“In South Korea, I have always played baseball with a pressure,” he said. “I know there are many eyes on me, but I will enjoy their gaze.”

But that doesn’t mean he will just relax on the field. Kim said he will always keep his eyes open when he is in the stadium.

“I don’t want to get rid of that intensity that you feel on the field,” he said. “I will hit pitches that head to my strike zone.”

The Orioles on Tuesday brought in free agent Dexter Fowler for a three-year, $35-million deal. The addition of the former Chicago Cubs player, who posts a .363 on-base percentage in his big league career, heats up competition in the outfield. However, Kim, who has been mainly playing left field, said he isn’t bothered by the team’s most recent signing.

“What’s important for me is to play games in whichever defensive position,” he said. “It will be better for me to play as a left fielder, but first, I will build up my skills to play in that position.”

Kim, who is the first South Korean player to jump from the KBO to the majors via free agency, this season will face other high-profile South Koreans in the MLB, including Minnesota Twins’ power hitter Park Byung-ho and St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Oh Seung-hwan. The four-time KBO Golden Glove-winning outfielder said he is ready to face them.

“I hope we perform well when we face each other,” Kim said. “But I want our team to win the game.”

When asked how he will change the question marks by the end of season, Kim said he will just show what he can do.

“I want to leave good impression,” he said. “I will be satisfied if I can perform like what I have done.”

Source: Orioles’ Kim Hyun-soo to enjoy his first MLB season