totositerankcom's Blog
:
November 2023
Find a replacement for 15.2 billion won’
POSTED ON
11/04/23
Ahead of this season, the Doosan Bears opened their wallets with enthusiasm. The ‘franchise star’ has been brought back.
Yang Eui-ji (36), who joined Doosan in the 2nd 8th round of the 2006 rookie draft (59th overall), is the best catcher in the KBO League with both offense and defense. At Doosan, he led the team to two Korean Series championships (2015, 2016) and one combined championship (2016), and signed a four-year contract with NC Dinos for a total of 12.5 billion won in 2019, winning the championship with the first combined championship since its founding in 2020. He stood tall as a ‘contractor’.
Yang Eui-ji's contract with NC ended at the end of the 2022 season. When coach Lee Seung-yeop took charge of Doosan, he emphasized the need for Yang Eui-ji, and Doosan gave Yang Eui-ji the highest amount of money ever, a total of 15.2 billion won for 4+2 years.
His skillful lead and offensive ability to hit double-digit home runs were intact. However, as he entered his mid- to late-30s, it was difficult for him to keep his home defense in all games. For Doosan, the importance of a ‘backup catcher’ has increased.
Yang Eui-ji played the season with a backup catcher who was as good as the starter. Doosan's Park Se-hyuk (NC) supported the team, and Kim Hyeong-jun (NC), who had a great time at NC, is creating a sensation in the postseason this year.
For Doosan, as Yang Eui-ji's catcher playing time is decreasing, they need to discover more catchers who are as good as starting players.
This season, expectations were placed on Jang Seung-hyeon (29). Jang Seung-hyeon's ability as a catcher was definitely attractive. He is evaluated as having good skills as a catcher, including his ability to remove the ball after catching it and his throwing ability. As a switch hitter, he prepared for this season by making changes, such as becoming a left-handed hitter, but his batting average remained at .158 in 78 games this season.
Coach Lee emphasized, "(Jang) Seung-hyeon was the second catcher, and although defensive ability is important, his batting average was poor at 1.55. The number needs to be raised when the team needs it."
In addition to Seung-Hyeon Jang, Seung-Han Ahn (31) also received the opportunity. Ahn Seung-han is also evaluated as having good skills as a catcher. However, he played in 22 games and had a batting average of .208.
A catcher with a strength in hitting is Park Yoo-yeon (25). Park Yoo-yeon had a batting average of .206 and 7 ERA in 10 games, but she was denied a chance at the end of the season due to knee pain.
Jang Gyu-bin, who returned from military service, is one of the resources that Doosan is looking forward to. Jang Gyu-bin, who joined in the second first round of the 2020 rookie draft (9th overall), returned this year after completing his military service. He hit .209 with 4.09 goals in 13 games in the Futures League. Coach Lee explained, "I heard (Jang) Kyu-bin is a very good player. He tore his hamstring at the end of the season, but he is now in a stable period."
Breaking up with coach Myung-won Jeong
POSTED ON
11/04/23
KIA Tigers decided not to renew contracts with four players for the 2024 season.
On the 2nd, the KIA club announced, “We have decided not to renew contracts with four players, pitchers Ko Young-chang, Nam Ha-jun, Song Hoo-seop, and Park Il-hoon, for next season.” For pitcher Na Yong-gi, catcher Bae Hyun-ho, infielders Kim Yong-wan and Park Seung-hoon, and outfielder Lee Jung-seok, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) requested the cancellation of training players.
Ko Young-chang, who joined KIA as the 53rd pick in the 6th round of the 2013 KBO rookie draft, recorded a total of 156 games in the first team, 159 1/3 innings, 2 wins, 7 losses, 18 holds, 2 saves, and an ERA of 5.14. After his first-team debut in 2018, he stood out the following year with 55 games, 54 innings, 1 win, 3 losses, 10 holds, 1 save, and an ERA of 3.50. In 2020, he played 48 games, 58 innings, 1 win, 1 loss, 2 holds, 1 save, and an ERA of 6.83, reaching 50 for the second consecutive year. Surpassed the innings.
Ko Young-chang, who performed well in the bullpen, recorded an ERA of 5.79 with 2 losses and 6 holds in 24 games in 23⅓ innings in 2021, and an ERA of 1.88 in 27 games and 24 innings and 1 loss last year, and did not stand on the first-team mound for a single game this season. In the Futures League, he recorded 38 games, 44⅔ innings, 1 win, 1 loss, 6 holds, and an ERA of 5.64.
Nam Ha-jun is a right-handed pitcher who joined KIA with the 18th pick in the second round of the 2016 rookie draft, and is one of the pitchers for whom the team's expectations were so high that he was selected in the upper round. However, since his first-team debut in 2017, he performed poorly in 4 seasons until last year, with a total of 33 games, 41⅔ innings, 1 win, 2 holds, 2 losses, and an ERA of 8.64, and only pitched in 2 games in this year's Futures League.
Song Hoo-seop, who wore the KIA uniform as the 44th pick in the 2nd 5th round of the 2017 rookie draft, appeared in only one game in the first team last year. His career performance in the Futures League, including this year, is 87 games, 126⅔ innings, 5 wins, 6 losses, 7 holds, 2 saves, and an ERA of 7.32.
Among the pitchers who were notified that their contract could not be renewed, Park Il-hoon, the only rookie this year, left the team without making his debut in the first team. He only played in 5 games in the Futures League this year. His performance was poor, with one loss in 3⅓ innings and an ERA of 40.50.
Meanwhile, KIA announced its intention not to renew the contract with remaining pitching coach Myung-won Jeong. Coach Jeong, who began his career as a leader with the Hyundai Unicorns in 2002, later went on to play for the Heroes, Doosan Bears, and KT Wiz, and continued his leadership career with the KIA Tigers in 2021.
Pitching coach Jeong Myeong-won, who served as the 1st team pitching coach in 2021, led the players as the 2nd team manager last year and started the season as the 1st team pitching coach this year. However, when Coach Seo Jae-eung was promoted to the first team at the end of June, Coach Jeong moved to the remaining team's pitching coach and spent the remainder of the season.
