Seoul: A sellout crowd of 23,750 people watched the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) game between the home team LG Twins and the Samsung Lions at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on Thursday. And there were probably more butterflies than that in the stomach of the Lions rookie second baseman Sim Jae-hoon.

According to Yonhap News Agency, despite his jitters, Sim, a second-round pick in the 2024 draft, made his KBO debut a memorable one, helping the Lions beat the Twins 6-3 to snap their season-long four-game losing skid. The 19-year-old checked the boxes for several "firsts," as he collected his first hit, first walk, first steal, and first run. He batted 1-for-2 while drawing three walks and scoring twice.

Before the game, Lions manager Park Jin-man expressed his hope that Sim would provide a jolt to a stagnant lineup that had been no-hit just two days prior and had suffered a 12-2 loss on Wednesday night. Sim felt that he accomplished this after the game, noting, "I thought that if I could play with some energy, I would have a positive impact on team morale. I felt confident that I could make that happen, and so I just tried to be aggressive."

Sim's aggression paid off on the base paths when he stole his first base in the sixth inning before scoring the Lions' fifth run of the game. Nevertheless, Sim admitted to being a nervous wreck, evidenced by a bobbled routine grounder in the first inning. "I should have handled it better, but I guess my legs didn't move the way they should have because of nerves," Sim said. "But I knew the runner (Moon Bo-gyeong) wasn't that fast, so I tried to take my time and make a good throw."

Moon, the Twins' third baseman, nearly robbed Sim of his first career hit in the third inning, making a diving stab but an errant throw allowed Sim to take second base. Sim was credited with an infield single and advanced on Moon's error. "When I made contact, I figured I had my hit, but then I saw Bo-gyeong dive toward the ball," Sim recounted. "I kept my head down and ran hard to first base."

In 18 games in the minors prior to Thursday, Sim batted .175 but had 16 RBIs. Despite only having 11 hits in 63 at-bats, most were timely and productive. "By playing on a consistent basis there, I gained experience both on the field and at the plate," Sim explained. "So I am able to stay patient and composed better than in the past."

Sim had been eagerly awaiting his chance to play at a packed stadium and worked diligently to make his dream come true. "I'd always wanted to play at a packed stadium like this," he said. "I thought it was about time that I realized that dream, and I worked hard to make that happen as soon as possible."

Sim's opportunity arose due to injuries to some regular players, and he fully understands his current position on the team. "I don't think I have a spot on this team yet, so my biggest goal is to do the best I can whenever I get a chance to play," he stated. "I want to get into as many games as I can in the KBO."