“He is a pitcher who knows how to fight”.
For the KIA Tigers, left-handed rookie pitcher Kwak Do-gyu (19) is pitching impressively. He also has an unusual form of throwing in the middle of the three quarters and sidearm, and his speed was so powerful that he reached 148km.
Among rookie pitchers, Yoon Young-chul was the only one to participate in the Arizona and Okinawa camps. Kwak Do-gyu spent spring camp in Hampyeong instead. He was so well-received that he played in practice matches. He was selected for the first team in exhibition matches. 스포츠토토
He showed off his power by showing off his guts in the exhibition game. He pitched 3 innings, 2 walks, no hits and no runs in 4 games. In the game against LG on the 21st, he took the mound at the bottom of the 5th inning with 2nd out, 1st and 2nd base and gave up a walk, but Moon Seong-joo was induced with a shortstop ground ball and prevented a run.
It is becoming a wailing wall for his lefties. He throws from the side and his arm swing is good, so his velocity is quick. Senior Kim Dae-yu throws with a sidearm, but his arm height is a bit high. His desire to compete head-to-head with his dynamic form is also exceptional. He throws the ball out of timing and is fast, so he’s not hitting it easily.
He drew attention with the surprise appearance of Rookie, but it is not easy to become a first-team force. This is because there are so many left-handed pitchers in the first team. Excluding Yang Hyeon-jong and Lee Eui-ri, left-handers, there are six people on standby. There are Kim Dae-yu, Lee Jun-young, Kim Ki-hoon, Choi Ji-min, Kim Yu-shin and newcomer Yun Young-cheol.
Left-handed pitchers are all showing off their presence and competing. With Kwak Do-gyu joining the team, he is the ninth left-hander. There is no place for Kwak Do-gyu in the existing left-handed pitchers.
Manager Kim Jong-guk expressed regret, saying, “I will play 2 or 3 more demonstration games. I’ll keep an eye on it, but all other (left-handed) pitchers are good. I think I need to steadily build my career with the Futures.”
“I think he is a pitcher who knows how to fight on the mound. In the future, if there is no special injury, he is a pitcher who can be used as a first-team power. After experiencing a crisis in an exhibition game, the crisis situation during the season is different. I will send it out even in a crisis.”
In the end, it seems that he will get a chance in the future only if he gets as much eye contact as possible in the remaining demonstration games. Compared to other rookies, it is a great harvest to leave a clear impression. /sunny@osen.co.kr