Kim Myung-sung

1.1. Childhood and School Years

Kim Myung-sung was born in Seoul, South Korea, on April 8, 1988. He began his educational journey at Seoul Jungdae Elementary School before attending Isu Middle School. He continued his baseball development through high school at Jangchung High School in Seoul. During his high school career, which was described as mediocre, Kim primarily played as an infielder.

1.2. University Career and Position Change

After going undrafted in the 2007 KBO Draft, Kim Myung-sung enrolled at Chung-Ang University within its Physical Education department to continue his baseball career. He initially began his collegiate career in 2007 as a third baseman. However, recognizing his weak bat but strong arm, the coaching staff converted him from a position player to a pitcher. This change proved successful, as Kim broke out during the 2009 season, recording a 5-2 win-loss record with a 2.71 ERA across 16 appearances as a starting pitcher. His strong performance continued into the 2010 season, where he posted an impressive 6-0 record with a 1.72 ERA, allowing only one home run over 68 IP. He also recorded 54 strikeouts during this period in the collegiate league across 11 games.

2.1. Lotte Giants Era

In the 2011 KBO Draft, Kim Myung-sung was selected in the first round as the fifth overall pick by the Lotte Giants, marking his entry into professional baseball. Despite his strong collegiate performance and his contribution to the national team's gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games, his initial tenure with the Lotte Giants was challenging. He made only four appearances in the first team, recording one loss and showing little activity on the mound. On June 17, 2012, Kim was traded to the Doosan Bears in exchange for catcher Yong Deok-han. Notably, the Doosan Bears had been the first opponent Kim faced in his limited first-team appearances for the Lotte Giants.

2.2. Doosan Bears Era and Retirement

Following his trade to the Doosan Bears, Kim Myung-sung spent time focusing on regaining his balance and improving his pitching, which led to him not immediately appearing in the first team. He eventually returned to the first team in 2013 and participated in the Korean Series that year. He continued to play for the Doosan Bears until 2016, when he was released from the team along with Oh Jang-hoon, Choi Young-jin, and Kim Kang, bringing an end to his professional baseball career.

3.1. International Competition Participation

Kim's strong performances in collegiate baseball led to his call-up to the South Korea national baseball team in July 2009 for the 2009 Asian Baseball Championship held in Sapporo, Japan. In this championship, Kim made a single appearance, pitching 0.1 IP in relief against Team Japan. South Korea secured a bronze medal in the tournament.

In July 2010, Kim was again selected to represent South Korea in the Korea-USA Baseball Championship Series. He started in Game 2 of the series, pitching 5.1 IP and allowing two runs while recording five strikeouts against Team USA. Although the series concluded with a 0-5 loss for South Korea, Kim's performance highlighted his potential on the international stage.

3.2. 2010 Asian Games and Military Service Exemption

On September 6, 2010, Kim Myung-sung was selected as the sole amateur player among the final 24 members of the South Korean baseball team for the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China. His inclusion highlighted the recognition of his exceptional talent and collegiate achievements.

During the tournament, Kim started in the group round match against Pakistan on November 16, 2010. He delivered a strong performance, pitching 2.1 IP of shutout baseball, allowing only one hit and recording three strikeouts. South Korea dominated the game with a 17-0 victory over Pakistan, securing the win with Kim as the winning pitcher.

The South Korean team ultimately won the gold medal in the tournament. This victory was particularly significant for Kim Myung-sung, as it granted him military service exemption, a substantial benefit for South Korean athletes. Following the achievement, at a team gathering of the Lotte Giants, Kim expressed a mix of joy and the burden of expectations. He mentioned feeling apologetic towards his senior teammates who had not received such an exemption, which motivated him to work even harder. He also extended his gratitude to Kim Si-jin, the pitching coach for the national team under manager Cho Bum-hyun, who selflessly volunteered for the role to help the team achieve its gold medal objective. Kim Myung-sung appreciated Kim Si-jin's kind guidance, despite never having met him before and being from different professional teams, and expressed a desire to maintain contact due to the profound humanistic appreciation he felt.