Lee Seung-yeop (47), the back door that Doosan Bears coach wanted, is gradually getting stronger.
The Doosan bullpen was the problem Manager Lee Seung-yeop had the most trouble with prior to the start of the season. Except for last year’s rookie of the year, Jeong Cheol-won, and finisher Hong Kun-hee, there were no reliable cards to be seen. At the end of the demonstration game, coach Lee emphasized the need for Seung-joo, saying, “The 8th inning (Jeong Cheol-won) and the 9th inning (Hong Geon-hee) have been decided. Before that, pitchers like Lee Byung-hun, Park Chi-guk, Lee Hyeong-beom, and Kim Myung-shin must block them.”
The one that stands out the most right now is Park Chi-guk. Last year, he pitched in only 15 games and had a sluggish ERA of 5.40. However, he is fighting well with 1 win and 2 holds in 6 games this season. It is ‘Mr. Zero’ that has not lost any points yet. When the starting lineup that has endured for more than 5 times slows down, Park Chi-guk evolves the crisis, and Jeong Cheol-won and Hong Kun-hee finish the 8th and 9th episodes.
However, I am still uneasy about Hong Kun-hee’s pitching. Hong Gun-hee posted his third save of the season as of the 12th, but his ERA reached 5.06. Restraint is the problem. Hong Kun-hee is a pitcher with a fastball that exceeds 150 km per hour. His fastball average velocity reached 147.8 km per hour in both 2021 and 2022, but this year it is only 144.4 km per hour. In the game on the 11th, Kiwoom Heroes Lee Jung-hoo was caught in a tie crisis and sweaty save was made.
Coach Lee Seung-yeop is enduring with ‘baseball of faith’. He refrained from three consecutive fights with Pilseungjo, and did not change his position. In the KIA Tigers game on the 8th, it became a hot topic because Park Chi-guk, Jeong Cheol-won, and Hong Geon-hee, who had been fighting until the day before, were not pitched in the 6-6 situation at the end of the 9th inning.
Manager Lee Seung-yeop said, “The principle is to reduce bullpen pitchers’ 3 consecutive fights.”
Even if Hong Kun-hee exposes his anxiety, there is no change in his position. He drew the line, “In the current situation, there is no possibility that Hong Kun-hee will come out in the 8th inning. He will always come out in a save situation.스포츠토토” In fact, Hong Kun-hee is a reliable pitcher. Even last year, he was sluggish with an average ERA of 5.65 in April, but ended the season with an ERA of 2.28 in the second half.
This is an appropriate strategy for the Doosan bullpen, which has a thin player base and is unfamiliar with positions. If Seung-jo Pil repeats the battle from the beginning of the season, the back door may collapse completely in the second half. Position retention is also important. Hong Kun-hee played last year as a closer, and Jeong Cheol-won also debuted in the first team last year. It’s been a long time since Park Chi-guk was also moderated from the opening game. It needs time to settle in. Doosan’s bullpen could become stronger in proportion to manager Lee Seung-yeop’s patience and trust.