Kia Tigers' Kim Do-yeong celebrates after hitting a go-ahead two-run double with two outs and runners on first and third in the bottom of the fifth inning during a game between the Lotte Giants and Kia Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on April 25. [YONHAP]
Baseball is a sport played as much with the mind as the body. In contests that last hours, players have plenty of time to think about their game — or get into their own heads.
The late Harvey Dorfman, a psychological consultant for MLB, explained in his book “The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance” (1989) that the pressure from thoughts such as “I have to get a hit” fuels fear, and fear leads to mistakes.
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The conclusion has held for Kia Tigers star hitter Kim Do-yeong in recent months.
