Hanwha is the team with the worst innings pitched by starters this season. They are averaging 4⅔ innings per game and are the only team that hasn’t gone over five innings.
From the opening day until mid-May, when Butch Smith went down with an injury, the team used a single foreign pitcher on the 꽁머니 mound. After his replacement, Ricardo Sanchez, arrived, Kim Min-woo skipped one rotation after being hit in the arm by a batted ball and was diagnosed with a three-month rehabilitation for a shoulder injury. Moon Dong-ju was scratched once for administrative reasons, and Jang Min-jae is now with the Futures as he needs rest and adjustment.
With a five-man starting lineup that hasn’t been fully operational all season, the team would have been in trouble without Lee Tae-yang (33). The all-weather pitcher has pitched at least two innings in six games, including two relief appearances. From the bullpen to long relief to substitute starts, she’s done whatever the team needs her to do.
Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho said, “Having a pitcher like Lee Tae-yang makes it easier for me to operate as a manager.” His season has been excellent. In 24 games, he has a 2.50 ERA with two holds. In 36 innings, he has struck out 27 batters and walked just eight. He’s a solid pitcher that you can count on off the bench in any situation.
“In those moments, I feel like the team is looking for me and needs me,” said Lee, who was called upon after Smith’s sudden injury in the opening game. The responsibility is greater than the hard work. I knew I had to play this role since I came back to Hanwha.” “I have a fast arm, but I can’t always be in good shape. I try to throw the ball that will get the batters out depending on my condition that day.”
Since returning to his hometown team in November last year, when he signed a four-year, 2.5 billion won contract with Hanwha, Lee has been a model free agent. “I often hear people say, ‘You did a good job bringing her back,'” he said. “It’s always nice to hear that,” said Lee. “At the beginning of the season, I thought I had to do better because I came back as a free agent. At some point, I stopped thinking about that and focused on what I needed to do on the mound. I’m proud to hear that I’m an exemplary free agent, but I take the responsibility seriously and prepare for every game.”
Lee, who helped SSG win the overall title last year by splitting time between starting and relieving, is no longer the pitcher he was in his 20s. His average fastball velocity this season is 139.2 kilometers per hour. However, he has improved his ability to control the long ball, walking just 2.0 batters per nine innings and giving up just one home run.
“There’s a saying that you can’t buy experience. I’ve been playing professionally for 14 years now, and I’ve gained a lot of experience, which has helped me relax on the mound. I’m utilizing every inch of the square strike zone, up and down and both sides. When I throw a pitch, I’m not just throwing it, I’m thinking about the next pitch,” he said. “I try to pitch to the count, thinking that a strikeout is not about the pitcher getting a hit, it’s about the batter getting a hit. It’s impossible not to get hit when you’re throwing, but I think we’re giving up fewer walks and therefore fewer long balls.”
Hanwha is 10th in the team standings but sixth in ERA (4.20), which is near the league average. Hanwha pitching coach Lee Tae-yang said, “Our pitching staff has been strong, but I don’t think it’s any worse than the other nine teams. However, we still have a lot 메이저놀이터 추천 of young guys and we need to be consistent. One good day, one good week, one good month is not everything. A 144-game season is a long time. They’re going to be playing baseball for 10 years or more, so they need to start building good habits now. You have to build yourself up so that when you have a slump, you can get through it. Technically, he has much better things than I do, so we talk about routines and mental aspects.”
“We still have more than 80 games left in the season, and we shouldn’t get carried away. The process is important now so that we can show results that we can smile a little more at the end of the season. We have to take each game as a day and prepare for it. I hope that all the players will be able to convince themselves at the end of the season.”