Geelong Korea,
Australia Pitchers who have to do their part in the game digestion team Seo Jun-won and Kim Jin-wook (above Lotte Giants), who are sweating in Australia, are not easy to get through the winter. It seems that there are still many challenges to be solved.
The two players joined Geelong Korea of the Australian Professional Baseball (ABL) on December 1 of last year along with Yoo Ji-seong and Lee Tae-gyu (above KIA Tigers). In addition to being able to throw the ball in warm weather, he took the opportunity to improve by dealing with Australian hitters.
They are pitchers who should be responsible for one axis of the starting lineup someday while showing their potential in their own team. The team also wants them to be firmly established. But they soon realized that they had a long way to go.
The Australian league was never easy
Seo Jun-won, whose presence did not stand out until mid-December, received passing marks by pitching 5 or more innings in two consecutive matches against the Sydney Blue Sox on December 29 and the Perth Heat on the 6th of this month. However, that upward trend did not last long.
Seo Jun-won took the mound as a starting pitcher in a home game against Auckland Tuatara held at the Geelong Baseball Center in Australia on the afternoon of the 12th, and showed a somewhat sluggish appearance with 7 hits (2 home runs), 1 walk, 5 strikeouts and 7 runs (5 earned) in 5 innings. In front of general manager Seong Min-kyu of Lotte who arrived in Australia, he recorded the most goals conceded in an individual game since joining the team.
He held on well until the beginning of the game, but collapsed in the top of the 6th inning when he dedicated a big inning. The team also failed to change the mood even after Seo Jun-won went down, maintaining a 3-3 balance thanks to Song Chan-eui (LG Twins)’ home run in consecutive hits, but giving up 6 runs in the top of the 7th following the 6th inning.
Kim Jin-wook’s situation is not much different. His performance in two games, including against Sydney on December 30 and against Perth on January 7, was 2 games, 7 innings, 2 losses, and an average ERA of 14.14. The declaration ceremony was held with
At least in the game on the 7th, he played his role as a starting pitcher by throwing 5 innings, but the content was not very satisfactory. It is true that there are regrets even considering the fact that there are fewer matches compared to Seo Jun-won.
A competitive system except Park Se-woong, two pitchers who must survive
Seo Jun-won and Kim Jin-wook received the team’s expectations at the time of joining to the extent that they were nominated as the first overall nomination in 2019 and the second overall in 2021, respectively. However, both players did not have a satisfactory season after their professional debut. 온라인카지노
From 2019 to last year, Seo Jun-won, who appeared in 123 games in the first team, had a total of 318⅔innings, 15 wins, 23 losses, 5 holds, an average ERA of 5.56, and no season reached the regulation innings. Last year (33 games), he played as a relief pitcher in all but 4 games.
The growth of Kim Jin-wook, who has been in his third year as a pro this year, is ‘currently ongoing’. In both 2021 and last year, he had an average ERA of 6 points or more in the first team, and his uneasy control caught his ankle. He didn’t noticeably improve in the Futures League either.
In the case of Kim Jin-wook, he was often compared to Lee Eui-ri (KIA Tigers), a ‘same age’ since high school. In addition, Lee Eui-ri, who won the Rookie of the Year title, succeeded in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and this year’s WBC entry, and the two pitchers’ joys and sorrows were more clearly mixed. From Kim Jin-wook’s point of view, it is the 2023 season that requires a push.
Except for ‘Ace’ Se-woong Park in Lotte’s domestic starting lineup, nothing has been decided for the other two positions. In the spring camp, which starts next month, players who break through fierce competition will occupy the 4th and 5th starters. While Seo Jun-won and Kim Jin-wook are also eager to enter the starting lineup, it remains to be seen whether the experience in Australia will change them.