From SK to SSG... Kim Kwang-hyun Was There in the Decisive Moments

Led Five Championships as Ace for SK and SSG
Ranked 2nd in Regular Season ERA and 4th in Wins
Veteran's Experienced Pitching... Once Again the 'Henggarae Pitcher'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Kwang-hyun changed the momentum of the 2007 Korean Series. He started in Game 4 and shut down the Doosan lineup for 7.1 innings without allowing a run. He dominated opposing starting pitcher Daniel Rios, who had won the regular season MVP, leading SK to their first-ever championship. Manager Kim Sung-keun, who made the bold decision to start the nineteen-year-old rookie, said, "Because he was a rookie, he had no pressure and pitched well." In fact, Kim Kwang-hyun threw fastballs with a challenge-like attitude, daring batters to hit. His top speed was 151 km/h. Park Kyung-wan, the LG battery coach who caught for him, recalled, "He was confident in his pitching. The batters' bats couldn't keep up with the ball."

Valuable experience became nourishment. Kim Kwang-hyun continued his bold and fearless pitching and became the ace of SK. He grew into a powerful pitcher who volunteered to be the solution in the fall baseball. While regularly taking the mound as a starting pitcher, he also showed confidence as a closer. "I am always ready to pitch," he said. In 2010, Kim Kwang-hyun became the 'hengaerae pitcher' (a pitcher who is celebrated by teammates with a shower of players). He came in during the 8th inning of Game 4, with the series score 3-0 in favor of Samsung, and pitched 1.2 innings allowing only one run to secure the championship. The moment he bowed to Coach Park Kyung-wan, who was the catcher at the time, is still talked about today. In 2018, Kim also appeared as a closer on the final stage. In Game 6, with the series score 3-2 in favor of Doosan, he took the mound in the 13th inning of extra innings and pitched one scoreless inning.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Kwang-hyun, who played for the Major League Baseball St. Louis Cardinals from 2020 to 2021, signed with SSG for a record-breaking four-year total of 15.1 billion KRW and returned to the KBO League. Last year, as a veteran, he stabilized the mound that had collapsed due to consecutive injuries in the starting rotation and led the rebuilding. This season, he pitched 173.1 innings over 28 games, recording 13 wins, 3 losses, and an ERA of 2.13. He ranked 2nd in ERA, tied for 4th in wins, and 2nd in winning percentage (0.813). Thanks to him, SSG never lost first place and won the regular season championship.

The secret to his continued success despite the pressure lies in adaptation. When batters started to adjust to his fastballs, Kim focused on control. Additionally, he minimized the batter's thinking time by adding curveballs and changeups to his previously simple pattern of fastballs and sliders. He judged that the reckless pitching style of 2007 alone was insufficient. His consistent efforts paid off in the Korean Series as well. Although his past dominance had faded, he effectively countered the Kiwoom batters who shortened their swings and chopped the ball. He started in Games 1 and 5, pitching 5.2 innings with 5 hits, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts, 4 runs (2 earned) on 99 pitches, and 5 innings with 7 hits, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts, 3 runs on 84 pitches, respectively. He also took the mound in Game 6, entering in the 9th inning with one out and no runners on base, closing the game and becoming the 'hengaerae pitcher' once again.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Kwang-hyun's appearance as a closer had been discussed since before the series. It was not an easy decision for the bench, as he had already pitched a significant number of innings in Games 1 and 5. However, Kim himself was unfazed. He said, "It's up to the manager to decide, but I am always ready to pitch whenever needed," and added, "If I can pitch in the final game, it would be a great honor for me." Under the bench's all-out declaration, he waited in the bullpen, and combining the championship rings he had collected since his SK days, he now wears rings on all five fingers (2007, 2008, 2010, 2018, 2022). Kim Kwang-hyun has always been present at the historic moments of SK and SSG.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.