Doosan completes the formation of foreign pitchers 'Ervin-Hatch'
Doosan completes the formation of foreign pitchers 'Ervin-Hatch'
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Doosan completed the composition of foreign pitchers next year in a hurry before November has even passed.
The Doosan Bears announced on its official website on the 19th that it has signed a contract with foreign pitcher Thomas Hatch for a total of 1 million dollars (down payment of 200,000 + annual salary of 800,000). "Hatch is a pitcher who can put all of his fastballs, sliders, cutters, changeups and sinkers in the strike zone with a maximum speed of 154 kilometers," a Doosan official said. "We can expect long innings as a pitcher with stable ball control based on his stable pitching form."
Hatch, who made his big league debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2020, recorded a 4.96 ERA with 4 wins, 4 losses and 6 holds in 39 appearances in four years, and posted 3 losses and 7.36 in 5 games with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp in the Japanese professional baseball this season. Doosan, which had struggled with foreign pitchers this season, completed the formation of a foreign one-two punch that will be active next season early by recruiting Hatch after Cole Irvin, a 28-win pitcher in the big league, on the 18th.
Four won 13 games, a big dent in the 'foreign pitcher's master'
The key to Doosan's advance to the Korean Series for seven consecutive years from 2015 to 2021 was the performance of foreign pitchers. In fact, Doosan had as many as three foreign pitchers (Dustin Nippert, Josh Lindblom and Ariel Miranda) who were named regular league MVP during the same period. In addition, Doosan's outstanding foreign pitchers such as Michael Bowden, Seth Frankoff, Raul Alcantara and Chris Flexen were too many.
Last season, Doosan also joined Alcantara, who made a U-turn to the KBO League with 13 wins, 9 losses and 2.67 losses, and Brandon Waddell, who recorded 11 wins, 3 losses and 2.49 in 18 games, to secure the last ticket for the fall baseball in fifth place in the regular season. Alcantara and Brandon renewed their contracts with Doosan for good terms totaling 1.5 million U.S. dollars and 1.13 million dollars, respectively, ahead of this season. Doosan had no reason not to seek proven one-two punch from foreigners.
However, Doosan`s foreigners` one-two punch failed to play a role this year. Alcantara, who had an ability to digest nearly 200 innings and an earned run average in the mid-2-point range during his two years with Doosan, humiliating him to be kicked out in early July after slumping to two wins, two losses and 4.76 in 12 games. Even Brandon, who was doing his best with seven wins, four losses and 3.12, failed to come back until the end of the season after suffering a shoulder injury.
The more serious problem for Doosan is that it did not have much effect even though it dealt with the sluggishness and injuries of foreign pitchers. In July, Doosan recruited Jordan Balazovic, who throws fastballs over 155 kilometers per hour, as an alternative foreign pitcher for Alcantara. Balazovic, who pitched 57 innings in 12 games, boasted a powerful ball power and struck out 69 times, but failed to become a "saviour" for Doosan's mound as he finished with 2 wins, 6 losses and 1 hold of 4.26.
The same goes for Japanese pitcher Keisho Shirakawa, who was hired as a temporary substitute for Brandon who left the club due to a shoulder injury. Shirakawa, who had recorded two wins, two losses and 5.09 in five games while wearing the SSG Landers uniform, took the mound in seven games for Doosan to post two wins, three losses and 6.03. Doosan signed an extension contract with Shirakawa as Brandon's recovery was delayed, but Shirakawa ended the season after suffering an elbow injury six days later.
2 Million USD Investment in Recruiting New Foreign Pitcher
In 2016, when Nippert and Bowden were active, Doosan, where foreigners' one-two punch combined for 40 wins, only four foreign pitchers won 13 games this year (two of Shirakawa's four wins in the season were from SSG). It was a result that hurt Doosan's pride, which was renowned as a "foreign pitcher master." As a result, Doosan quickly moved as soon as the season was over, successfully recruiting two big-name foreign pitchers. 메이저사이트
Irvin, who signed his contract on the 18th, is an "active big leaguer" who played for six years through four teams. In 2021, when he was an Oakland Athletics player, he recorded 10 wins, 15 losses and 4.24 in 178.1 innings, and pitched 181 innings in 2022 to become a full-time starter for the second consecutive year with 9 wins, 13 losses and 3.98. He was not the type to overwhelm opponents with ball pitching at the Major League level, but he has fast balls that exceed 150 kilometers per hour, which is enough to play as a power pitcher in Korea.