LOTTE CHOI JUN-YONG, WHO GAVE UP HI OBSESSION AS A FIELDER AND GRABBED THE BALL SAID, "I WILL THROW A BETTER BALL"
Concerned about becoming a fielder due to frequent injuries last year... Thanks to the persuasion of those around me, I became a full-time pitcher, and my top speed is already in the upper 140 km/h range... “Both physical condition and position are positive”
Choi Jun-yong (22), the right-handed reliever whom the Lotte Giants are proud of, has already pitched 190 games despite being in his fourth year as a professional.
Among players who played in more than 150 games over four seasons from 2020 to last year, only two were born in the 21st century: Choi Jun-yong and Jung Hae-young (KIA Tigers, 218 games), the same age group. 온라인카지노
Choi Jun-yong, who had a bright future ahead of him and was even selected as a member of the national team for last year's Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), seriously considered becoming a fielder last year.
With the understanding of national team coach Ryu Joong-il, he participated in national team training and batting practice.
Now, he is giving up his attachment to being a fielder and focusing on being a pitcher again.
On the 25th, Choi Jun-yong met with reporters at the Itoman Nishizaki Stadium in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, where an exchange match was held with the Chiba Lotte Marines of the Japanese professional baseball team and said, "It has been completely resolved.
“I also have to become a pitcher, and I know that being a pitcher has great value,” he said.
The reason why Choi Jun-yong considered becoming a fielder was because of frequent injuries.
Last season, Choi Jun-yong played in 47 games with 2 wins, 3 losses, 14 holds, and an ERA of 2.45, but he went to the rehabilitation center several times due to injuries.
Choi Jun-yong said, “I had a hard time thinking, ‘I work so hard, but why do I keep getting sick?
Am I not fit to be a pitcher?’” and “I thought about becoming a fielder because I thought that a baseball player should be on the baseball field.
Even if you play as a fielder, there is no guarantee that you will be good, but “At least I had the confidence to try without getting sick,” he explained the reason.
Lotte coach Kim Tae-hyung, team officials, and national baseball team coach Ryu Joong-il and the coaching staff all advised Choi Jun-yong that the right answer was to focus on being a pitcher.
Choi Jun-yong explained, "You all reminded me of the value of a pitcher, starting with last year's national team and even after I returned to the national team.
So I decided to prepare hard so as not to get sick."
He added, "Coach Kim Tae-hyung also said a lot of positive things about pitchers.
He said this, but I thought it was wrong for me to insist on being a fielder, so I made up my mind."
Choi Jun-yong felt that in order to avoid getting sick, he needed a knack for putting a ‘comma’.
He said, "I'm the type to work out a lot without thinking.
But when I look at seniors like (former) Jun-woo and Son Ah-seop, who work out for a long time without getting sick, they work out in a planned manner and rest when they rest.
I was wondering, 'Is it hurting because I'm training even when I'm resting?' So this year, I only exercised.
“I decided to rest when I needed to rest,” he said.
Fortunately, the current condition is smooth.
Choi Jun-yong, who played in the first game of the exchange match with Chiba Lotte, explained, "It is positive that the ball is coming out in the upper 140 km/h range at this point.
If I get fit and ready for the opening, I will throw a better ball.
Both my physical condition and pitch are positive."
Choi Jun-yong also tweaked his pitching posture a little so that he could throw without pain.
He used his flexible physical ability to throw with a large movement, and kept his pitching stance simple and stripped of unnecessary elements.
Choi Jun-yong said, "I think I was poisoned by not being able to control my flexible body and using it excessively.
Japanese pitchers are also more flexible than me, but they throw concisely.
Although my form is not completely perfect yet, if I maintain this, I will be able to throw stronger without getting injured.
“It looks like it,” he said, expressing satisfaction.