845x550 | 640x417 | 120x78 | 75x75

outlookindia1   Image Posted Feb.19th, 2024, viewed 20 times

Aims for a complete rebound after shedding regret

When something that seemed natural is not natural, one can't help but feel embarrassed. That was the case last spring of NC's Lee Jae-hak. He was not listed on the overseas training list. It was the first time since his professional debut in 2010, except when overseas training itself was not held due to COVID-19.

Lee Jae-hak has returned to spring training for the first time in a year. He is sweating profusely at Tucson Training Center in Arizona, the U.S. He is preparing for a new season. He proved his worth during the last season. "I was not at ease because I could not attend last year's training session. It feels new to prepare for this season with other players," Lee said over the phone on Sunday. "I will do my best to prepare for this season."

Last year, Lee Jae-hak only held his first team report ceremony on May 21, about a month and a half after the opening. He was worried, but he recorded a maximum speed of 146 km/h in his first appearance and stopped six innings without a hit.

However, he cried again due to bad luck. On June 22, his seventh appearance in the game after registering as a member of the Korean pro league, he was hit on his toe by a pitch in the top of the third inning against LG. He thought it could be a fracture, but pitched two more innings. He allowed one run in five innings and left the mound. "I felt as if I was being stabbed while bending my toe upward. If it was a fracture, I would have to rest for several weeks, and if that's the case anyway, I thought I would throw as much as I could in today's game," Lee Jae-hak recalled.

Lee Jae-hak was diagnosed with a metatarsal fracture. He had been unable to walk for three weeks since the injury. He returned to the mound only in August, but displayed sluggish performance with a 6.35 ERA in nine appearances since then. Prior to that, his performance was 2.70 ERA in six games. Injuries cannot be solely attributed to him, but it was natural that he felt regret.

Lee Jae-hak is preparing for a new season as he is committed to dispel regret from last season. It has been more than 10 years since his debut, but he still has a lot of work to do. One of his major tasks is to improve the level of maturity of his third pitch. Last season, Lee increased the ratio of slider balls to 8.2 percent. He attempted to overcome the limitations of his fastball-changeup "two pitches."

Robot refereeing, base size expansion, pitch clock, etc. are also tasks to be considered. KBO will apply robot refereeing from the opening game of this season and expand base size. Pitch clock will be introduced in the second half after pilot operation in the first half.

Lee Jae-hak is paying particular attention to expanding the base size. As the base size increases, the distance between lugans decreases, and the attempt to steal and the success rate increases. Lee Jae-hak said, "I'm thinking about how to respond because the quick motion is not fast."

NC's biggest weakness this season is its mound. Eric Peddy, a foreign ace, returned to the U.S., and Koo Chang-mo joined the military in Sangmu. There is no clear selection in Korea other than Shin Min-hyuk. Kim Young-kyu, Kim Si-hoon, and Lee Yong-joon are among the candidates for starting. If existing bullpen pitchers such as Kim Young-kyu transfer their positions as starters, they will have to reorganize their relief pitchers in a series of ways. Uncertainty will inevitably grow in some ways. This season requires stable performance by veterans such as Lee Jae-hak. "It is true that I was upset because I had been sluggish for several years, but on the other hand, I thought that the ball was getting better year by year," Lee Jae-hak said. "I will play pitching that is as helpful to the team as possible in any position."

토토

Community Critique