{
  "id": 18619951,
  "title": "Wiz star Hilliard taking advantage of rubber ball training during Korean Series",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/wiz-star-hilliard-taking-advantage-of-rubber-ball-training-during-18619951",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-07T02:32:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/sports/20261107/wiz-star-hilliard-taking-advantage-of-rubber-ball-training-during-korean-series"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "DAEGU — KT Wiz outfielder Sam Hilliard has incorporated rubber ball training into his pregame batting practice routine, a habit he adopted from his minor league days in the United States. After struggling during his first Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) season, Hilliard returned to hitting rubber balls as suggested by his hitting coach Kim Kang. This change proved beneficial when Hilliard's performance improved dramatically. At the end of April, he was batting .232, the lowest mark among qualified foreign hitters at the time, but he rebounded with an eight-home run, .350 batting average stretch in May. Since then, he hasn't looked back, leading the KBO with 139 RBIs and ranking second with 44 home runs. In the Korean Series against the Samsung Lions, Hilliard has been on fire, batting .583 (7-for-12) with three doubles and three RBIs in three games, surpassing the entire Lions roster in hits and scoring one more double than them.",
  "summary": "DAEGU — Before he steps into the cage for his pregame batting practice, KT Wiz outfielder Sam Hilliard hits rubber balls tossed by a coach. Hitting them is not just for fun. Hilliard said he first did it a few years ago while in the U.S. minor leagues. He stopped hitting rubber balls but then returned to his old practice ways earlier this year at the suggestion of hitting coach Kim Kang, as he…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Wiz star Hilliard taking advantage of rubber ball training during Korean Series",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/07/wiz-star-hilliard-taking-advantage-of-rubber-ball-training-during",
        "published": "2026-11-07T00:33:28.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}