“Don’t you think you should throw like Yang Hyun-jong and Kim Kwang-hyun to say ‘Ace’ and ‘Great Pitcher’?”
Kwak Bin (25, Doosan Bears) appeared in 30 games this season, recording 15 wins, 9 losses and an ERA of 4.24, and tied for the most wins with Won Tae-in (Samsung). He pitched 167 ⅔ innings and filled the regular innings for the first time in two years, and spent a season in which he would not lack the word “ace” by continuously playing the rotation without any major injuries.
Above all, Doosan has not been able to boost its performance due to poor performance and injury of foreign pitchers this season. Kwak Bin’s performance as a key player in the starting lineup was valuable. Kwak Bin said, “I’m glad that I finished the regular season well without getting hurt. It was tough, but I thought it was an experience and wanted to take it to the next level.”
It was a year of solid results, but Kwak Bin expressed regret, saying, “I don’t feel confident.”
He maintained his rotation steadily, but there was a game that collapsed significantly in the middle. Examples include the game against Samsung on July 12 (six runs in three ⅓ innings, five earned runs) and the game against SSG on August 11 (six runs in two innings). He also started the first game of the wild card game with KT Wiz, but had to leave the mound by allowing four runs in one inning.
Kwak said, “Sometimes a game is bad. I don’t know why. In terms of the season, if I threw 20 times well, I remember not throwing 10 games.”
In the final round of the wild card game, he was in rather good condition. “I threw about 30 pitches, but I think it passed in just five seconds. During the season, I pitched well against KT, but I think he prepared well, including a walk and a short catch for KT,” Kwak said. “I’m sorry I didn’t keep my promise with fans. If I get another chance, I’ll do well.”
Kwak once again found it difficult to be consistent throughout his entire season and career, and impressed with the achievements made by Yang Hyeon-jong and Kim Kwang-hyun. Yang pitched 171 ⅓ innings in 29 games this season, posting 11 wins and five losses with an earned run average of 4.10. He became the first pitcher to play 170 innings for 10 consecutive seasons in the KBO league. Kim also pitched 162 ⅓ innings this season, and pitched more than 160 innings for four consecutive seasons. He also played the role of ace in his team by posting 12 wins and 10 losses with an earned run average of 4.93.
Kwak said, “I’m just a pitcher who wants to be an ace, but I’m not an ace. It’s not easy to be a major pitcher like Yang Hyun-jong and Kim Kwang-hyun. I thought it would be difficult, but I’ll do it again step by step. Rather than rushing, I want to show them that I did better than last year.” 메이저사이트
In order to reduce the ups and downs, he will start strengthening his mental health during the off-season. He will pay attention to his daily life first. “Coach Lee Young-soo told me that I have to think about my personal life first so that I don’t get swayed too much,” Kwak said. “That’s why I usually try to think about good things,” Kwak said. “I will aim to reduce the downs and downs next year.”
Kwak Bin has been selected for the training list of the Premier 12 national team to be held in November and is training at Gocheok Sky Dome. As he pitched well in the final against Japan at the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) last year, he is expected to take an important role as a starter in the Premier 12 national team, as he pitched five hits (one home run), six strikeouts, three walks and one run in five innings. Moreover, Won Tae-in (Samsung) complained of shoulder pain after taking the mound in Game 4 of the last Korean Series, making it unclear for Kwak Bin, a clear starting resource, to play an important role.
Kwak Bin made a determination, saying, “I will focus on my body to come back up well rather than being particularly conscious.”
