'122 pitches of shock before debut' Kiwoom Jung Hyun-woo → 2nd place in Korean history... Special management is desperately needed to erase the aftermath of '500 million dollars of damage'
'122 pitches of shock before debut' Kiwoom Jung Hyun-woo → 2nd place in Korean history... Special management is desperately needed to erase the aftermath of '500 million dollars of damage'
Blog Article
It was the 12th start of the KBO high school graduate's debut game. However, he couldn't help but rejoice. Since he is the first rookie pitcher to do everything, concerns are bound to follow. Chung Hyeon-woo (19), the No. 1 rookie overall, made an unforgettable debut.
In an away game against the KIA Tigers in 2025 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League held at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on Sunday, Chung started the game and allowed eight hits, seven strikeouts and four runs (four earned runs) during five innings. After coming down with a winning requirement, Chung became the winning pitcher for his debut game with his team's 17-10 victory.바카라
It was his debut match in which he was able to check his talents and challenges at the same time. What made headlines, however, was something completely different. He threw 122 pitches in his first professional game.
After graduating from Deoksu High School, Chung joined the Kiwoom team as the No. 1 player and secured 500 million won (approx. He was considered a "completed pitcher" with high expectations. He also displayed impeccable pitching at exhibition games. In three games, he allowed six hits, five walks, 10 strikeouts and two runs (one earned run), and earned run average (ERA) of 0.82, which earned him no run per game. Expectations are also high as he is a "K-machine" that can strike out twice as many times as a walker.
He was selected as the fourth starting pitcher early on by the team's coach. Due to weakening batting lineup, Kiwoom has deployed two batters instead of foreign pitchers, and despite being a rookie, Chung's role has clearly exceeded that required of a rookie.
Starting with the opening two consecutive games against the Samsung Lions, Kiwoom lost as many as 35 points in three games through the game against KIA on Saturday. Despite the fact that its batters showed strength to score 18 points, the team had no choice but to lose three consecutive games. Kenny Rosenberg, the only foreign starter whom the team trusted, lost eight points in three innings, while Ha Young-min, the Korean ace, was also sluggish as he allowed five runs (four earned runs) in three innings. Young Gun Kim Yoon-ha lasted five innings against KIA, but was hit by five homers and allowed eight runs (seven earned runs). As a result, Chung's shoulder was heavier.
His debut match. The defending champion, who boasts a nuclear strike, greatly exceeded expectations. From the top of the first inning, Wizdom hit a two-base hit to cross the fence, and maybe out of nervousness, he committed a wild pitch. He allowed his first run as a pro when hitting a ground ball, and allowed Choi a two-base hit directly to the homerun fence. After the hit, he allowed one more run. He pitched 31 pitches to finish the first inning.
Fortunately, the batters exploded. He succeeded in turning the tables 4-2 in the second inning and took the mound in the bottom of the second inning to ease the pressure, but allowed runners to get on base one after another and tied the game 4-4 due to a timely two-run hit by Choi.
The batters definitely helped. He allowed two more runs to lead the game 6-4. However, he had a big double again in the bottom of the third inning. With the bases loaded with two outs, Wizdom was given a powerful slider, which was truly impressive when he swung and struck out.
In the fifth inning, Ryu garnered four more runs, including a three-run homer by Ruben Cardinez, to become a winning pitcher. He took the mound in the bottom of the fifth inning with the lead of 11-4. He had already thrown 93 pitches.
It could be interpreted as the consideration of the head coach who wants to give the pitcher who will lead the team's future a victory in his debut match. However, contrary to expectations, the defense in the fifth inning was also prolonged.
Chung started off with a hit to the left by Byun Woo-hyuk, the first batter, and Kim Tae-gun gave him an out count, which already exceeded 100 pitches. Manager Hong did not move. After that, he got a double from Yoon Do-hyun, putting him on the verge of hitting the second and third bases with one out. He struck out Choi Won-joon, leaving only one out count to win, but allowed Wizdom to walk, causing a two-out full base crisis. Nonetheless, the bench remained steadfast and Na Sung-bum had a timely two-run hit. The number of pitches he pitched increased to 118 pitches, but Kiwoom pushed forward Chung Hyeon-woo, and hit Choi Hyung-woo with a fly ball to left field to score 122 pitches before the game ended.
There was no reason to overdo it. The criteria for overwork are still unclear, but even when those standards were much weaker than now, Chung's pitch count on the day was quite unusual.
According to the KBO, the highest number of pitches a pitcher has ever thrown is 135 pitches against the OB Bears by Lotte Giants pitcher Kim Tae-hyung on April 24, 1991. At the time, Kim Tae-hyung won the game by allowing one run during nine innings. The next is Chung's pitches on the day.
Ryu Hyun-jin of the Hanwha Eagles, who won the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP award at the same time in his first season, also pitched 109 pitches in his debut game with the LG Twins on April 12, 2006, by pitching seven scoreless innings. The only pitches that exceeded 120 were Kim Tae-hyung's 135 pitches and Kim Soo-kyung of the Hyundai Twins' 120 pitches in the match against the Ssangbangwool Raiders on April 17, 1998.
Chung Hyun-woo's 122 pitch on the day is bound to come as more surprising as the importance of player management is rising than in the past.
There are mixed reactions in the community. Fans who are showing critical responses are expressing concern that the number of pitches that will cause negative impacts on the team's debut game. Of course, there is no clear definition of how many pitches to throw in a game should be considered as overworked. It can all be different depending on the pitcher's physical condition, condition, and pitching style.
However, because a rookie pitcher pitched against the winning team, he had to put much more power on each ball than he did in high school, and the fatigue would have been different from what he had ever experienced. Even in high school, Chung Hyeon-woo was a pitcher who had never thrown more than 110 pitches.
After the victory was confirmed, he was congratulated by his teammates and even interviewed by Su-hoon with a bright smile. However, since it is an all-out fight that he has never experienced before, it may be difficult to imagine the aftermath right now.