Jeon Mir (18) of the Lotte Giants, who is a rising star, has become a starting pitcher for the KBL Busan KCC Egis. His form as the "school basketball ace" is not dead.
Jeon made a timely investment in a match between KCC and Daegu Korea Gas Corporation Pegasus in the third round of the 2023-2024 Junggwanjang Professional Basketball League held at Sajik Indoor Stadium in Busan on Wednesday. Jeon visited Sajik Gymnasium with Lotte rookies in the 2024 season to watch the game.
Jeon Mir, who came out to the court an hour before the match, practiced shooting with his teammates. He moved from the three-point shooting line to the half line to adjust the zero point of the shot. Jeon Mir, who showed a clean and better-than-expected shooting form, succeeded in shooting outside, raising expectations.
Soon afterwards, Jeon Mir, who came out as a trial fighter, took the microphone and finished a short and bold greeting, "KCC fighting!" After flying from the free throw line, Jeon Mir's trial shot through the rim with a clean shot on just one attempt. He raised his hands to greet the fans and went back to his seat.
During the halftime event, he appeared as a special guest along with teammates Park Joon-woo (fourth round), Lee Sun-woo (seventh round), and Cha Min-sung (starring player). He failed at his first attempt, but managed to score the goal as the host asked him to come closer and closer. Receiving expensive wireless earphones, he handed it over to a child who attended the event together as a gift.
Jeon Mir, who met with Star News during the game, said, "I was less nervous than when I pitched. I definitely felt less pressure because I was playing basketball." Earlier, he pitched the first pitch against Sajik LG on October 5 and showed off his accurate pitching. At the time, he said, "I couldn't throw it that hard because it was slippery than I thought," but he wasn't nervous, which was not true.
Jeon was praised by his fans for his better-than-expected shooting form. "I played basketball quite a bit," he said with a smile. "I was an all-rounder in position. I can watch from No. 1 to No. 5. I had some confidence because I was sweeping the court."
Coincidentally, the match was a showdown between KCC, which is based in the same hometown as Lotte, and Korea Gas Corporation based in Daegu, the hometown of Jeon Mir. Were they aware that they did not have a team to root for? "I found out today that Korea Gas Corporation is based in Daegu," he said. "It's too late to change my mind. We are in the same Busan, so I will root for KCC." Having picked Choi Joon-yong of KCC as his favorite player, he explained why he is such a superstar as well.
Jeon joined Lotte as the third overall pick in the first round in the 2024 KBO rookie draft held in September. With a sturdy physique measuring 188 centimeters tall and weighing 95 kilograms and excellent athletic sense, Jeon is a "dodge" player who plays both pitcher and fielder like Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers).
Jeon, who is evaluated as a player with both power and speed, appeared in 27 games as a batter at high school this year, posting a batting average of 0.346 (28 hits in 81 times at bat), three homers and 1.032 OPS. As a pitcher, he garnered five wins, one loss and an earned run average of 1.32 in 18 games. He stood out in both pitching and batting, leading Gyeongbuk High School to win the Blue Dragon Open National High School Championship.
At the time of his nomination, former Lotte general manager Sung Min-gyu said, "Jeon has athletic ability to play both a pitcher and a batter. I gave him high marks for his desire to win the game in the stadium." Jeon, who will be on the professional stage, said, "I am honored that Lotte, where Choi Dong-won, whom I respect, was, picked me. I will become a player who works hard even if it is my classmate." 사설토토
Jeon, who participated in the finishing camp that ended at the end of last month, said, "I found a lot of things that I lacked in," and found significance. "I plan to improve a lot by conducting rookie and spring camps." As for the ongoing rookie camp, he said, "I am strengthening my physical stamina in December. I only do running and weight training. I plan to start technical training from January."