“In 2009, KIA also stayed at the bottom, then traded once and even won the championship. If Cuevas plays that role.”
KT Wiz, led by director Lee Kang-cheol, is joined by a strong support force. That’s William Cuevas. Cuevas joined KT as a substitute foreign player in place of Bo Schulseo, who left after leaving 9 games with 1 win, 7 losses and an average ERA of 5.62.
For KT fans, Cuevas is an unforgettable player. Cuevas, who first made a connection with KT in 2019, made a successful soft landing by recording 13 wins and 10 losses and an average ERA of 3.62 in 30 games in his KBO debut season. In the 2020 season, his second year, he recorded 27 games, 10-8, and an average ERA of 4.10, adding strength to KT’s first fall baseball line.
And in the 2021 season, 23 games, 9 wins, 5 losses, an average ERA of 4.12, slightly poorer than the previous two seasons, but he did it at the end. In the 2021 season Samsung Lions and the 1st place in the regular league (tie-break) came up after a two-day break, but showed a perfect pitch with 99 pitches, 1 hit, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts, and no runs in 7 innings, adding strength to KT’s rise to No. 1 in the regular league. Also, in the Korean Series, in the first match, he fought well with 7 hits, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts and 1 run in 7.2 innings. He was the main player in KT’s combined victory.
Last season, he re-signed with KT and recorded an average ERA of 2.45 with 1 win in 2 games, but injuries got in the way. In the end, he had to part with KT. He posted a record of 33 wins and 23 losses with a 3.89 ERA in 82 games. However, even after his contract was terminated, Cuevas remained in Korea and fulfilled his role as a member of KT, not outside of KT, such as rehabilitation training and informing Wes Benjamin, who joined as a substitute, about Korean baseball culture.
Afterwards, Cuevas received offers from several KBO teams, but did not go. He only thought of KT. In the 2023 season, before coming to KT, he played for the Triple A Oklahoma City Dodgers under the Los Angeles Dodgers. He appeared in 11 games (9 starts) and went 2-2 with a 6.14 earned run average. He was constantly in rotation. If you come to KT, it is expected that it will be enough for you.
KT coach Lee Kang-cheol said, “I’m going to come to Incheon on the 14th and see him throw. If he is in good shape, he will go to Suwon Samsung on the 17th,” he said.
KT needs a rebound in performance. At the beginning of the season, they were unable to exert their strength amidst a series of injuries to key players, and are currently in 9th place with 22 wins, 33 losses and 2 draws. Manager Lee Kang-cheol hopes that Cuevas’ joining will serve as an opportunity for the team to rebound.
Director Lee Kang-cheol said, “Since Cuevas came, wouldn’t the team also turn around? He was not a new mercenary, but a foreigner whom he had been close with before. He knows the domestic players, and he will also play the role of the team’s atmosphere maker. If he becomes the vitality of the team, he will go in a better direction.”
At the same time, director Lee Kang-cheol remembered 2009. The KIA Tigers brought Kim Sang-hyun through a trade, and it was a hit. He made a big success by building a pair with Choi Hee-seop. As soon as he arrived, Kim Sang-hyun played an active role as a key hitter for KIA, and played 121 games with a batting average of 0.315, 141 hits, 36 homers and 127 RBIs, contributing to the KIA championship. Manager Lee Kang-cheol, who was the KIA pitching coach at the time, remembers that time.먹튀검증
Director Lee said, “In the past, KIA also stayed in the bottom ranks until May 2009. After trading Kim Sang-hyun, he moved up from the bottom of the ranks. If Cuevas stays in the rotation, it seems to be of great help to the team.”
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