FALOID’ doesn’t work either, 22 save pitcher’s sudden fall…Preliminary FA with no point in changing positions “shock therapy”
As every year, there are many good FA players on the market this season. What is unusual is that there are many bullpen pitchers representing the league. Kim Jae-yoon (KT), Ham Deok-ju (LG), and Hong Gun-hee (Doosan) are representative players.
They were continuing their best performance this season as players ahead of the FA and were indispensable key pitchers in their team. However, Hong Gun-hee has completely changed in the second half. He continued to lose points in a close game and lost confidence on the mound.
In the end, coach Lee Seung-yeop said on the 15th of last month, “There is a strong tendency to be shaken in the recent neck-and-neck race.” “I decided that it would be better to make him throw the ball in a place where there is no burden,” he said, changing his position from a finishing man to a setup man and Jung Chul-won from a setup man to a finishing man.
However, once his confidence has fallen, he rarely seems to recover. He is so insecure that he lost a point in four of his last five games
He allowed three hits and one run in 2/3 innings against NC on the 19th of last month, two hits and one run in 1/3 innings against Kiwoom on the 23rd, one hit and one run in 1 inning against SSG on the 27th, and three hits and two runs without catching a single out count against LG on the 31st. In particular, he allowed three home runs while catching nine outcounts in the last five games. The fastball, which exceeded 150 kilometers at the beginning of the season, is currently staying in the mid- to late 140 kilometers. The tip of the ball is flat and there are more balls that are driven to the center.
During the KIA era, Hong Gun-hee had good pitching, but he was not a pitcher with a clear position. However, after wearing Doosan’s uniform as a trade in 2020, the ball speed, which stayed in the middle of 140km per hour, exceeded 150km beyond the second half, and it became the finish after going through the bullpen must-win group. Last year, he threw 62 innings and was in charge of Doosan’s back door with 2 wins, 9 losses, 18 saves and a 3.48 ERA. And this season, he was in charge of finishing Doosan from the opening and was on a roll with 22 saves. At this rate, it was a career-high season and I could also aim for the FA jackpot.
However, things have changed a lot over the past month. Hong Gun-hee, who was called the preliminary FA bullpen trio, has become ambiguous now. The most important season in baseball life, and the most important moment, he often bowed on the mound. It is Hong Gun-hee, whose “FAoid” does not work.
Meanwhile, with Hong Gun-hee’s fall, Doosan’s trusted victory group collapsed. There is no bullpen pitcher to trust and take the mound in a close game. As a result, starting pitchers often throw more than 100 pitches and put an excessive number of innings as much innings as possible. Doosan is already overloaded with the bullpen. There was no way to win because the trusted Pilseungjo was shaken and failed to keep the lead. In order for Doosan to recapture the fifth place and go to autumn baseball, it is urgent to revive Hong Gun-hee and Pil Seung-jo as soon as possible.