As of the 26th, Kiwoom has played the most games out of the 10 teams in the KBO. Playing in a dome stadium, the Gocheok SkyDome, Kiwoom is relatively immune to weather variables and has played a total of 91 games.
While Kiwoom has played 91 games, there are still teams that haven’t even played 80 games. Among the 10 KBO clubs, KIA is the only one. KIA played a total of 79 games before their 13-3 win over Changwon NC on June 26. Even if Kiwoom is an outlier, it has played a whopping 14 games less. Considering that the rest of the teams are playing between 82 and 85 games, KIA’s number of games stands out.
Rain. KIA has had a total of 15 games canceled due to rain or weather this year. That’s more than any other team in the KBO. The season doesn’t end until all 144 games are played anyway. The homework is getting pushed back. While this can be beneficial from a strategic standpoint if you’re only moderately behind or not too far behind the other teams, it’s also not a good idea to put your vacation homework too far behind.
The rainouts at the beginning of the season weren’t so bad. That’s because the team had a lot of injuries, including Na Sung-beom and Kim Do-young, so they weren’t at 100% strength. There’s no guarantee, but there was a chance that the team would be stronger when the games were rescheduled, but now that most of the injured players are back, it’s time to run. Any more cancellations and they’ll have to play a tougher schedule than their opponents at the end of the season, which puts a lot of pressure on them.
When other teams are playing back-to-back games, KIA may have to play all week. This naturally increases the stamina factor at the end of the season and makes them a target for opponents. While it’s comforting to know that the team is currently below .500 (.474) with a lot of games left, the future is far from certain.
There’s also a twist this year. In mid-to-late September, the national team for the Hangzhou Asian Games will be assembled. KIA currently has Lee Yi-ri, Choi Ji-min, and Choi Won-jun on the roster. The depth of the outfield is not bad, so Lee Yi-ri and Choi Ji-min will be missed more than Choi Won-jun. In such a situation, it will only get tougher as more matches are organized.
Lee’s absence is especially troubling, as he’s been up and down this year, but you can always count on his pitching quality. His batting average this season is just 0.187. With so many upcoming games, KIA will likely need to use a full rotation and at least five starting pitchers more than other teams. They need to start with their starting pitchers, and they don’t have a lot of options to fill Lee’s void. Yoon Young-cheol is another variable, as he is a high school rookie. 메이저놀이터
Kia manager Kim Jong-guk is also preparing for that situation early. “I think it will be a bit difficult physically in the second half,” Kim said, adding that he is worried about the selection issue. I’m thinking about different situations, and I’m even thinking about Plan C. Still, I’m worried that the gap will be a bit big.”
While he didn’t mention any names, he did say that he would need to have a replacement ready.