The Kia Tigers won the 2009 Korean Series with a dramatic walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7. Second-year infielder Kim Sun-bin, 35, wasn’t at the ballpark that night when the night sky lit up at Jamsil Stadium. He had been a solid backup that year but didn’t make the 26-man roster for the Korean Series. He had a weakness in handling ground balls, and he watched the Korean Series from afar as he was pushed aside by the more experienced seniors.
His young heart was broken. Fifteen years later, Kim Sun-bin, who once threw the TV remote control and raged at his team’s victory, is now the MVP of the Korean Series. In Game 5 of the 2024 KBO Korean Series at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on April 28, KIA defeated Samsung 7-5 to win the series 4-1. It was the 12th Korean Series title in franchise history, including the first since 2017. The team added one more title to the KBO’s all-time record for most wins.
Kim Sun-bin was named the MVP of the Korean Series in a historically close race. He received 46 votes out of 99 valid votes cast by reporters, representing 46.5 percent of the vote, beating out fellow catcher Kim Tae-goon (45 votes) by just one vote. Kim received a Kia EV6 and an MVP trophy for his injury.
In five games of the Korean Series,
Kim batted 5-for-8 (10-for-17) with two doubles, three RBIs, three runs scored, three walks and a .636 slugging percentage. With three doubles and one triple, he had a .636 slugging percentage and a 1.518 OPS. The impact of catcher Kim Tae-gun, who hit the game-winning home run in Game 4 and the game-winning hit in Game 5, was also counted, but Kim’s tremendous hitting ability won out by one vote.
In Game 1, Kim opened the door for KS with a triple off Samsung starter Won Tae-in in the second inning that hit the fence. There was a moment when he thought it was going to be a home run, but he didn’t care as he made his way to first base. After a leadoff walk in the seventh inning of Game 1, which was rained out, set the stage for a four-run big inning, 파워볼사이트 Kim continued his streak in Game 2 with an RBI double in the first and a sacrifice fly in the fifth. In Game 4, he had a three-hit blast, including two doubles, and in the final game, a three-hit game in the fifth inning.
“I think Taegoon would have accepted it. He did a great job during the series,” said Kim, who praised his friend who narrowly missed out on MVP honors. ”We were told before the season that we were the favorites, but there was no pressure. I think we won because we all had fun and enjoyed ourselves on the baseball field.”
It was Kim’s third team title since joining KIA in 2008, and the most emotional moment of his career.
He shared in the championship moment as the starting shortstop in 2017, but in 2009, he was left out of the roster and watched the championship on TV at home. “I was so angry and frustrated that I threw the remote control,” Kim recalls with a laugh, ”I was a little younger when I won in 2017, and I’m a senior now. This year’s win is even more emotional for me. I cried. It means a lot to me because I won at the Gwangju Champions Field.”
A talented two-hitter at Hwasun High School, Kim was underestimated due to his small stature of 164 centimeters. He was selected by KIA with the 43rd overall pick in the second sixth round of the 2008 rookie draft. “I heard a lot of bad things when I joined the league,” says Kim, who was the youngest player to debut in the league at the time, ‘I was told ’I can’t play because I’m short‘ and ’I have limitations,’ but I broke those prejudices with this MVP.
Despite his short stature,
Kim overcame the negativity with his solid and relentless play to become one of the league’s leading shifters. With his extreme contact and drive ability, he rarely struck out and was relentless in harassing pitchers. In his 16 professional seasons, Kim has a career batting average of .355 (5,391 hits, 1645 runs), winning a Golden Glove at shortstop in 2017 and moving to second base in 2020, where he has been playing since his mid-30s.
He grew a little taller after joining the organization and has been listed as 165 centimeters since 2011, making him the shortest player on the roster, with Samsung’s Kim Sung-yoon (163 centimeters) joining in 2017. Even though there are shorter players, including Samsung’s Kim Ji-chan (163 centimeters), who joined the league in 2020, Kim is still one of the shortest players in the KBO. He has become a dream and hope for younger student-athletes who are dwarfed.
“There are many short players in the KBO now. They are doing well. I think (short student-athletes) will be able to play better when they come to the pros. Even though baseball is a sport where physical condition is important, I think it’s a great encouragement to break the stereotype,” he said.