Why did you send the ace in charge of 196 ⅔ innings? ML-style war against pitch clock → One round amid cheering inferiority, the first gateway to Kim Tae-hyung's second year
Feb 11, 2025
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In 2024, Lotte was overwhelmingly No. 1 among the 10 clubs in the pitch clock violation category. The distinction between the starter and the bullpen is so meaningless.
KBO initially warned pitchers who violated the pitch clock from the first half, signaling the implementation of the pitch clock in the second half of 2024, but delayed the introduction in earnest to this year in the face of opposition from the field.
It is no longer inevitable. Lotte pitchers are trying to adapt to the pitch clock in this spring camp.
Manager Kim Tae-hyung has repeatedly expressed his opposition to the pitch clock, but the concept of focusing on the match against the batter and pitching at a faster tempo is also in line with his baseball theory, as he was concerned about the injury of pitchers due to the sudden introduction.
It is not irrelevant to the pitch clock that Wilkerson, a foreign pitcher who never skipped the pitcher rotation and was responsible for 196 ⅔ innings last year. When he joined Lotte, he did not hide his uncomfortable feelings about the pitch clock, saying, `I'm happy to finally be able to play real baseball.'
It wasn't a pitcher with a particularly long interval. The failure to renew his contract with Wilkerson is the reason why he is 36 years old this year, the pitching innings he played earlier, and his bad record in the second half. However, with the inevitable introduction of the pitch clock, there was no reason to insist on a pitcher who did not match the pitch clock. Therefore, Lotte recruited Davison instead of re-signing Wilkerson.
On top of that, although it is a practice game, a match against Taiwan's WBC (World Baseball Classic) national team, which is playing `sincerely', is expected to be a valuable experience for Lotte.
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WBC is a competition organized by the MLB Secretariat. Therefore, the game will be played in accordance with MLB regulations. The same is true of Peach Clark.
First of all, the KBO League's pitching limit is 20 seconds if there is no runner and 25 seconds if there is. Above all, unlike Major League Baseball, there is no restriction on the departure of the pitching board.
However, in these two games, which will be played by MLB regulations, Lotte pitchers have to pitch 15 seconds and 18 seconds, respectively, in accordance with U.S. regulations. There is even a limit on the departure of the pitching board (allowed in the second inning, balk in the third inning).
Lotte is highly satisfied with the Tainan training environment. All facilities, including the main stadium, dome (indoor practice range), youth-sub stadium, and bullpen, are in good condition, including grass.
Reinforced by head coach Cho Won-woo and bench coach Kim Min-jae, 'Kim Tae-hyung-ho' utilized this environment as a pool to drive the team through strong training. The match against Taiwan's national team is an opportunity to get a little glimpse of its achievement.
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Lotte will broadcast it from 7:35 p.m. for two days from the 12th to the 13th on its official YouTube (Zions TV). Busan MBC caster Kim Dong-hyun and commentator Shin Bon-ki will hold the microphone.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
