Kia sent both the starter and the closer down to the second team at the same time. They decided they couldn’t put off the adjustment any longer.
On the 29th,메이저놀이터 with no games on the schedule, KIA removed five players from the first team roster. Pitchers Sean Anderson (29), Jung Hae-young (22), Kim Dae-yu (32), and infielders Hwang Dae-in (27) and Yoon Do-hyun (20) were removed from the roster all at once. The move comes after the team lost back-to-back series against Daejeon Hanwha and Gwangju LG last week.
The most notable names to watch are Anderson and Jung Hae-young. Anderson, a foreign pitcher, is the team’s No. 1 starter on the opening day, while Jeong Jung-young is a key part of the rotation, having been a full-time closer for three years. It’s unusual for a starter and a closer to be dropped to the second team at the same time during the season without an injury, but it was a decision that could no longer be delayed.
Anderson is 3-5 with a 4.12 ERA in 10 games (54⅔ innings) this season. In April, he settled into the league quickly, going 3-2 with a 2.58 ERA in six starts, but suddenly struggled in May, going 3-3 with a 7.71 ERA in four starts. His walks per nine innings spiked from 1.41 in April to 8.82 in May.
Kia manager Kim Jong-kook said of Anderson last week, “There is a small problem with his command. We’re talking to the power analysis team and the pitching coach, and he’s aware of it. If he takes care of that from practice, he will be able to improve.” However, on the 28th, Gwangju LG Electronics also collapsed with six runs (three earned) on four hits, three walks, one hit batter and two strikeouts in three innings. He will make adjustments for the time being and prepare to return to the first team.
[OSEN=최규한 기자] KIA Sean Anderson. 2023.04.01 / dreamer@osen.co.kr
[OSEN=Gwangju, Kim Sung-rak] KIA Anderson roars after inducing Doosan’s Yang Ji in the 7th inning. 2023.04.07 /ksl0919@osen.co.kr
Jung Hae-young also hasn’t been bad on the surface this season, going 3-1 with a 3.44 ERA in 20 games (18⅓ innings) and six saves, but his 1.58 WHIP and 2.9 K/9 ratio are disturbing. His average fastball velocity dropped from 144.5 mph last year to 140.9 mph this year, a 3.6 mph drop from the previous year, and his pitches were not overpowering hitters.
Manager Kim Jong-kook also spoke about Jung, saying last week, “The power analysis team found the difference (between when he was good and when he wasn’t), and he knows it. I try to change my mechanics from the long toss, but it’s hard to think about that when I’m on the mound. The first inning is a war zone. It’s a timing battle with the hitters, and it’s hard to think about form when you’re in the game.”
The closer’s job is a tough one, with every pitch counting. It’s impossible to make mechanics adjustments in the first team during the season, so the second team has time to make adjustments before it’s too late. We’re not even halfway through the season yet, so in the long run, it’s better to find problems and eliminate anxiety once and for all.