"If you win KS, it's the best experience in baseball life." Foreign ace's dedication, which even the great pitcher admired, Cho Joon Jung returns to KS
"If you win KS, it's the best experience in baseball life." Foreign ace's dedication, which even the great pitcher admired, Cho Joon Jung returns to KS
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Yang Hyun-jong (36) of the KIA Tigers in the professional baseball league admired the dedication of foreign pitcher James Nail (31).메이저놀이터
KIA lost 0-2 to SSG Landers in the "2024 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League" at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 17th. Although it failed to win on its own, Doosan won the game between Doosan and Samsung 8-4 at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, reducing its final magic number and confirming its regular-season title. It is the team's seventh win since 1991, 1993, 1996-1997, 2009 and 2017.
Kia, which has been in a constant race to lead the league since the beginning of the season, briefly lost its No. 1 ranking to LG for four days from June 7 to June 11, but has not lost its No. 1 ranking since then. The team won the title at a pace fast enough to confirm the title with seven games to go during the regular season.
However, the team was not without crisis. In particular, there were many injured players in the starting rotation. As foreign pitchers got injured one after another, they had to bring in many foreign pitchers such as James Nail, Will Crow, Cam Aldred, Eric Lauer, and Eric Stoute, and there were many difficulties as Lee Eui-ri and Yoon Young-chul were also excluded from the Korean starting lineup due to injury.
In particular, Nail's injury was regrettable. Nail, who has 12 wins, 5 losses and an ERA of 2.53 in 26 games (149 ⅓ innings) this season, was out of his team's capacity as she was hit on the chin by a pitch during the game against NC D.C. on April 24. However, she has ample chance to return to the postseason after recovering quickly after undergoing surgery.
In an interview after winning the championship, KIA manager Lee Bum-ho said, "There were so many injuries that I felt like you were giving me too many trials this season. It was especially hard because pitchers kept getting injured. Whenever Crow, (Lee) Lee Eui-ri, and (Yoon) Young-cheol got hurt, there was a big crisis. Still, I thought we were not a team that easily collapsed as I saw the team become stronger when other players filled the spot well and returned."
Ace Yang Hyun-jong, who silently played his part in the starting rotation, said, "I'm so grateful to Neil. I didn't visit the hospital, but he seemed to be very tired and lonely. It's natural to be sick because I got hurt, but he always wanted to have fun and be with us at the ballpark. He said he was rather sorry for the unexpected injury at the important moment. He recovered surprisingly quickly and I'm trying to show good performance by exercising as soon as possible."
Yang Hyun-jong, who said, "I had a hard time facing Korean hitters for the first time when a lot of new pitchers such as Lauer and Stout came," said, "I think it would have been different if James had been there. As soon as Nail was discharged from the hospital and accompanied him, he told good stories to other foreign pitchers to help him adapt. Thanks to this, we were able to show good performances at important times," emphasizing the positive role of Nail.
Ahead of the Korean Series, Lee Bum-ho said, "I think all players who can come back should come back. James and (Yoon) Young-cheol can all come back. We still have time, so we will prepare to enter the Korean Series with the best of our abilities."
Nail said, "I'm really proud of my team, and I'm really proud of the fact that I'm a part of this team. Although luck is necessary to win, luck cannot be the only way to win. The fruits we have gained today are proof that all members of our team have worked hard for one goal so far," and added, "If I win the Korean Series this time, I will have no better experience in my baseball life. I can't stand in front of my fans because I'm recovering from my injury, but I'll do my best to faithfully play the schedule set by the club until the series and prepare well to stand on the stage of glory."
Fans are excited about whether Nail, who hopes to win the championship with the team despite injury, will be able to return healthy in the Korean Series.