Williams' legacy has only been around for six years, catching up with the record of old generations and grand triumphs...I think I got a good chance
Jun 29, 2025
|
|
KIA Tigers closer Jung Hae-young also set another record as the youngest and the shortest.
Jung Hae-young took the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning with a 9-8 lead over the LG Twins in Jamsil on the 28th and recorded two hits, one strikeout and no run in one inning to achieve his 20th save of the season. Starting with 34 saves in 2021, his second year as a professional, he has achieved 20 saves for five consecutive years so far this year. The third all-time great record in KBO history.
It caught up with seniors who made a mark in the history of KBO closer in just six years. Players who have recorded 20 saves for five consecutive seasons prior to Jung Hae-young include Koo Dae-sung (former Hanwha) and Son Seung-rak (former Lotte). Koo Dae-sung recorded 20 saves in the 1996-2007 season (overseas from 2001-2005), and Son Seung-rak recorded 20 saves in seven consecutive seasons from the 2012-2018 season. Koo Dae-sung set a record in 2000, his eighth year as a professional player, and Son Seung-rak in 2016, his 12th year, and Jeong Hae-young, a former first-place name in 2020, set a milestone in six years, the fastest among them.
Former KIA manager Matt Williams is cited as the reason why Jung Hae-young was able to walk the path of a closer at a young age in his early 20s. Former coach Williams was appointed as the 9th Tigers head coach in October 2019. He signed a three-year contract through 2022. He made a bold decision to fix Jung Hae-young, who was a rookie, as the closing pitcher.
An KIA official said, `Former coach Williams boldly asked me to use Jung Hae-young as the closing pitcher at the time. As a foreign leader, he tended to prefer fast-ball pitchers. It was in the same context that former coach Williams put Lee Eui-ri (first nomination in 2021) directly in the starting rotation. As a result, I think the two pitchers were able to establish themselves in major positions in the first team in the near future."
Even if Williams leaves, Williams' legacy is firmly guarding KIA's back door. He is almost breaking the youngest record related to saves, achieving 100 saves in the Gocheok Kiwoom Heroes match on April 24 last year and 10 saves in the Gwangju Lotte Giants match on May 13th.
Jung Hae-young said, "First of all, thank you very much to the coach and the coach. I think I was able to do it because you gave me this opportunity, and I think I took that opportunity well."
|
|
Jung Hae-young "I want to continue to make more (20 consecutive saves). I want to keep setting more records like this, and to do that, I need to take good care of my body. I think we should focus more on not getting hurt," he said emphatically.
Jung Hae-young, who spent most of her professional career as a closing pitcher. As the years go by, the weight of the save becomes heavier.
Jung Hae-young said "I think the more I play baseball, the more difficult it is. I have all the experience, but it's a shame that I can't do it again. Also, baseball is not something you can do well every day, but you have to forget it quickly and show good performance again, so the more you do it, the more difficult it is. "
Jung Hae-young's parents captured the moment their son wrote a milestone at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
Jung Hae-young said "Today (28th) my mom and dad came to the stadium. I feel really good to set another meaningful record when you came. "My mom was originally able to come when she achieved 100 saves, but she said she regretted it a lot because she couldn't come because of work."
KIA ranked No. 1 in winning percentage in June, rising from 7th to 4th. He trailed the third-place Lotte Giants by 1.5 games. Jung Hae-young's shoulders became heavier as she had to keep her team's victory.
Jung Hae-young said "There is no important game that doesn't matter. We are all thinking that we should quickly forget about last year and do it again this year. Even now, there are no injured players, but everyone really wants to win. I think I'm getting more and more good results these days," he said, vowing to continue to contribute.
|
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
