“I want to throw 155 km/h.” A bold ambition from a second-year pro pitcher. But the veteran catcher wasn’t impressed. “You should know why you’re pitching well,” he scolded Young-gun.
“I want to throw up to 155km/h in the future,” KT Wiz ‘set-up man’ Park Young-hyun said in a player interview after the Suwon Doosan Bears 토토사이트 game on May 5. Park, who recently reached a fastball velocity of 151km/h, said he is working hard on his body to reach 155km, which is a symbol of a strong fastball.
This reached the ears of veteran catcher Jang Jang-woo. He didn’t react. In an interview after the win over the Busan Lotte Giants on July 7, Jang Sung-woo said, “I saw Park Young-hyun’s interview. Now, every time I look at him, he’s scolding me,” he said.
When asked what happened, Jang was cool. He said, “Park Young-hyun is good not because of his fastball, but because of his pitches and command, which allows him to throw his pitches on the course he wants. He should know why he’s throwing well, but he doesn’t seem to know.” He shook his head.
“I personally feel bad when I see young players obsessing over their fastballs,” said Jang. “In recent years, our team has had pitchers who are better with fastballs and changeups than fireballers. “We’ve had a lot of pitchers in recent years who are more of a fastball and changeup guy than a fireballer. I told them to focus on their pitches rather than their fastballs because they can just tell the manager, ‘I threw it according to my signature,’ and not give up any walks.”
Jang Sung-woo continued, “There are a lot of pitches that are low and become strikes if you catch them. It must be frustrating for the batter. When Na Kyun-ahn (Lotte) learned to throw this kind of ball, he became successful,” and added, “(Park) Young-hyun is not a player with a good changeup. But if his fastball is good, his changeup will be powerful, so I hope he will focus more on his command (as he is now).”
Despite Jang’s scolding, it was all a gesture of affection for the pitcher who will be responsible for the team’s future. Throughout the interview, he smiled and expressed his pride in Young-hyun Park. He also supported Park’s selection to the Asian Games roster alongside Lee Kang-chul. “I don’t have anything to push him (to make the roster). In terms of performance and other aspects, (Park) deserves to be on the roster,” he said.
“I don’t usually say this, but during spring training last year, I told the manager, ‘Young-hyun will be the rookie of the year,’ and he was that good,” he said, adding, “Last year, I didn’t throw my best pitches because I was late to adapt, but I think this year will be different.” He encouraged Young-hyun’s growth.