Shim Chang-min (31), a sidearm pitcher who was notified of his release from the NC Dinos in September, has not given up his dream of returning to the mound and is throwing the ball hard.
“I expected the release notice to some extent,” Shim Chang-min said in a phone call with this newspaper. “I was embarrassed at first, but I have no intention of quitting baseball yet. I am conducting personal training at Masan High School with the help of coach Ko Yoon-sung, who was my teacher at Gyeongnam Middle School.”
Shim Chang-min, a 14-year-old pitcher, is one of the leaders of the Samsung Lions era. He joined the Samsung Lions as the fourth-ranked pitcher in the first round in 2011, and joined the must-win group the following year. From the game against the Lotte Giants on May 24, 2012 to the game against the LG Twins on May 27, 2014, one of which was Shim Chang-min who had 144 consecutive wins (including one draw) when leading the team in the seventh inning. 스포츠토토
He made 25 saves with four holds in 2016, six with 16 holds in 2017, and 17 with five holds in 2018. He also played for the 2015 Premier 12 and 2017 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national teams. After failing to make the final selection for the national team at the 2018 Jakarta Palembang Asian Games (5 wins, 2 losses, 17 saves, 5 holds), he served in the South Korean military athletic unit the following year.
After the end of 2021 (3 wins, 2 losses and 21 holds), Shim was suddenly traded to NC Dinos as a benefit in return for catcher Kim Tae-gun (current KIA Tigers). Since then, Shim has rarely pitched in the first team. This season, he was excluded from the training list for the first time since his debut, and he had no chance to play in the first team. His overall performance in the professional league is 31 wins, 29 losses, 51 saves, 80 holds, and ERA 4.22.
“I can’t quit like this,” he gritted his teeth.
Shim Chang-min said, “After moving to NC, I hurt my elbow while trying hard to do better. After that, I couldn’t throw the ball as I thought. I tried to throw harder, but the pitching form was deformed, and I gradually lost the timing and control of the ball.”
Having failed to throw balls properly for a while, he said, “I’m a little old-fashioned. I tend to train more harshly if I don’t get my way,” adding, “He gave 71 pitches (30 1/3 innings) in the second division last year. I’m not that kind of pitcher.” He also pointed out that introducing ABS, which is disadvantageous to sidearm pitchers, is another reason for his sluggish performance.
Shim Chang-min did not have good performance in this season’s second division, but he expressed hope. “I made absurd pitches last year. This season, I felt like I was competing little by little,” he said.
Shim Chang-min, a former member of the national team, is waiting for the day when he will stand on the mound again in the first division. “I’m constantly building up my body to prepare for the (admission) test,” he said. “I’ll quit without hesitation, but I still have 145 kilometers per hour.” “Even if I quit when I quit, I want to do it for another year. It’s too bad this way.”
