“I think it took a lot of effort.”온라인바카라
KIA left-handed set-up man Choi Ji-min, 20, tasted bitterness in the second half opener against Doosan on the 21st. Trailing 1-2 in the top of the seventh, he relieved starter Mario Sanchez with runners on first and second. The bottom of the order, Park Kye-beom and Park Jun-young, walked. Sanchez’s command had dropped a bit, and Kim Jong-kook calculated that if he didn’t give up a run in that situation, he would have a chance to fight back.
However, Choi Ji-min did not live up to his expectations. He walked Park Kye-beom on a 1B1S pitch and tried to throw a three-pitch fastball low to the body, but it hit his left knee. With the bases loaded and two outs, he hit a nine-pitch triple to right-centre field. The fastball was driven up the middle.
What stood out about Choi on this day was that his fastball velocity was the fastest in recent memory. He was clocked at 148-149km by Park Kye-beom and 151km by Park Joon-young, according to portal site Naver. In fact, after hitting 150km at the start of the season, their velocity has dropped a bit since June, but the All-Star break has definitely recharged their batteries.
But it also confirmed a commonplace truth: velocity isn’t everything. In recent years, the ball has been the fastest, but the results have been the worst. After the Gwangju Doosan game was cancelled due to rain on the 22nd of this month, Kim Jong-kook said, “I felt like I was using a lot of energy, and I was trying to throw too hard, so the ball hit the body.”
Specifically, Kim said, “I was trying to prevent the situation, so I threw hard, and the pitch shook a little because I was using too much force.” At the end of the first half, he said, “I think he felt that his fastball was better than his delivery,” but this day was different.
For KIA, Choi’s “Sanchez accounting” was disappointing, but she has been doing very well this season. In 38 games, he has a 3-2 record, 3 saves, 6 holds, a 1.90 ERA, a 0.192 batting average, and a 1.10 WHIP. He has become the best left-handed bullpen in the KBO beyond KIA.
However, there are side effects of his inexperience as he hasn’t been the main setup man full-time. This day is typical. He had more power than usual, so he pitched a fastball and lost. This experience can only make him stronger.
In the second half of the game, Kim Jong-kook brought in Jung Hae-young, who has 74 career saves. Jung is now back in the closer’s role. With a 1-3 lead, it’s best for KIA to go with Choi in the eighth and Jung in the ninth. Im Ki-young, Jeon Sang-hyun, Lee Joon-young, and Jang Hyun-sik can add to the mix. The quantity and quality of the pitching trio is very good. They don’t have to rely on Choi Ji-min, but she is still the core.
Coach Kim Jong-guk rarely used Choi as a finisher, even when Jung Hae-young was out in the first half. It was a gesture of consideration, as it was her first full-time season and she felt the pressure of finishing. Even in the second half, Choi Ji-min was able to pass the baton to Jung Hae-young. This role also requires a lot of responsibility and stability. Kim is confident that Choi will be able to handle this role well enough. The second half is a different story. The accumulation of bullpen failures can be fatal in the race for the top spot. Choi Ji-min got the right shots from the first pitch of the second half.