“I practiced so much. I didn’t want to be told I wasn’t good enough.”
There was venom in his voice as he recalled last summer. Lee Jin-ha, 19, of the Lotte Giants, pumped his fist.
His name on the opening roster raised expectations. But the professional bar was high. In his first two games, he gave up three runs while striking out one. He was eventually released from the first team with a 20.25 ERA in 3 1/3 games.
It took him 146 days to get back to the big leagues. It’s hard not to feel for him. He was even more desperate because his teammates Kim Min-seok, Son Seong-bin, Yoon Dong-hee, and Jin Seung-hyun were all playing in the first team.
The Futures went 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA in 13 games and 18 innings pitched. Both the starting rotation and the bullpen practiced.
“I had some inconsistencies in my pitching form, and I tried to correct them,” said Lee. I increased my release point to take advantage of my height of 1.91 meters, and I also worked hard on my physical strength,” he said.
In the recent rookie draft, seven rookies were selected from his alma mater Jang Chung-go alone. In particular, four of the so-called “eagle five” – Hwang Jun-seo Yuk-sun-yeop Kim Yoon-ha and Cho Dong-wook – were selected in the top 11. Won Jong Hae was the last of the rookies to be nominated (65th overall), and his father gave a tearful interview.
He and Lee Jin-ha were juniors together. He said, “It’s been a year already, and I’m motivated. I knew they would do well, so I congratulated them right away. I hope they do well.” Through Yuk Sun-yup, he also said hello to Jeon Mir, who will now be a junior on the team.
“He’s always a good listener and really works hard at baseball,” he said of Won Jong-hae, adding, “I was worried that he wouldn’t make the team, but I’m glad he did.”
Lotte will be without its two pillar pitchers Park Se-woong and Na Kyun-an during the Hangzhou Asian Games. Initially, a relatively relaxed schedule was expected, but with the number of rainouts increasing, the team will play every day as usual. If more rainouts occur, doubleheaders may be considered.
This makes it even more important to find a replacement to fill the void. “It’s hard to say who the substitutes will be right now,” said Lotte manager Lee Jong-woon ahead of the Daegu Samsung Lions game on Sunday. We’ll consider it based on their physical condition.” 스포츠토토
Lee personally coached Jin-ha Lee when he was the second team manager. He said, “Lee Jin-ha is a good pitcher. He didn’t get a chance before because he wasn’t feeling well, but I think he will grow into a starter in the future. We are also considering him as a substitute during the Asian Games.”
Lee Jin-ha also said, “I will pitch hard according to the task and situation given by coach Lee Jong-woon,” adding, “Fall baseball is not over yet. I want to help the team a little bit,” he said.