'Miracle amid restrictions on the number of pitches' Kang Byung-hyun, Cheongdam High School's 105th-ball shutout
Jul 03, 2024
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Pyeongtaek Cheongdam High School won 4-0 in its first round showdown with Kaesong High School in the 79th Blue Dragon Open National High School Championship and weekend league King Wangjung (co-hosted by the Chosun Ilbo, Sports Chosun, and Korea Baseball Softball Association) at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul on the 3rd.
Pitcher Kang Byung-hyun was at the center of the victory. Kang Byung-hyun, a right-hander sidearm, took the mound as a starting pitcher for Cheongdam High School on the same day and took charge of nine innings alone.
The crisis management ability is outstanding. Even if the runner was sent out, he did not lose a point and saved the number of pitches. In the bottom of the first inning, Park Seung-joo, the leadoff hitter, allowed a hit to the middle, and later gave up a sacrifice bunt, but succeeded in handling two consecutive hitters. In the second inning, leadoff hitter Kim Seung-joo allowed a hit ball, but the runner was lucky to be checked out, and later Cho Min-sung and Choi Joon-young were struck out with infield flies.
In the third inning, after allowing a hit to Shim Kang-bo after one out, Park Seung-joo and Kim Tae-yul were out with bums, and in the fourth and fifth innings, they recorded three consecutive outs. Meanwhile, Cheongdam High School scored the first point. As the team's attack, which had been blocked until the fourth inning, revived, it took a 1-0 lead, and Kang Byung-hyun's pitch began to gain more and more power.
After allowing a hit to leadoff hitter Shim Kang-bo in the sixth inning, Kang Byung-hyun, who did not lose a run and handled the follow-up the hitter neatly, was lucky to block a stolen base after walking a runner after one out in the seventh inning. The concentration of his colleagues helped Kang Byung-hyun.
Kang Byung-hyun, who also recorded three outs in the eighth inning, continued his pitch in the bottom of the ninth inning with Cheongdam High School leading 4-0. There was room for a difference in scores, and now it was a fight with Kang Byung-hyun himself.
As he was hit by leadoff hitter Park Seung-joo, he wondered if the shutout would fail as it is. However, the bench did not replace the pitcher. With nearly 100 pitches, Kim Tae-yul was treated as a third baseman foul fly, and when Kim Min-joon was treated as a fly to right field, he had 102 pitches left, just three from the 105 pitches limit.
A situation in which you have to finish the match against the last batter in three pitches. Otherwise, Cheongdam High School was forced to change its pitcher. Kang Byung-hyun threw one or two consecutive strikes against the last batter, Yeo Ji-hwan. And the last ball. The game ended as it was when Yeo Ji-hwan touched the ball in the middle and was caught as a fly to center field. Kang Byung-hyun's final record was four hits, four strikeouts, one walk, and one out in nine innings. a 105-ball shutout.
Kang Byung-hyun had a perfect game with one run in nine innings at the Golden Lion in 2022 when he was in his second year. At that time, Cheongdam High School had a miracle of advancing to the semifinals of the national tournament for the first time since its foundation in 2016, and Kang Byung-hyun, who was suspended for a year due to surgery, started the first game of Cheongryonggi as a third grader and succeeded in complete pitching again.
Since 2018, when the limit on the number of pitches per day was introduced in high school baseball, it is hard to find a case of nine shutout innings. In particular, it is even more of a miracle if the scope is narrowed down to national competitions. The team's power must also be supported, and the opposing batters must play in a fast count to make it possible. You need good luck, but Kang Byung-hyun did it.
Kang Byung-hyun said in an interview after the game that `I was lucky. There were three pitches left at the end, so I put in the strike unconditionally to finish it as soon as possible. I was able to finish because the batter hit me quickly. There was a difference in scores, so I thought it would be okay to get a single shot, so I just went in quickly." Teammates took care of the Blue Dragon Flag shutout commemorative ball.
After completing his second year, he underwent ligament reconstruction surgery due to an elbow injury in March last year. "At first, I was disappointed because it was an unexpected injury, but after receiving it, I just thought I would do it for another year. I've completed my rehabilitation well, and now I think I'm on track to some extent," he said with a smile.
Sidearm Kang Byung-hyun's maximum fastball speed is only in the early 130km range. He also posted a maximum speed of 133 kilometers on the day. But I am confident in my control. He is showing a strong side in big games with pitches that take advantage of sidearm's unique strengths. Kang Byeong-hyun "KT Wiz's Ko Young-pyo is my favorite. I have different pitching forms, but there are still many things I want to learn from my ball control and breaking ball. "I'm also confident in control, even if the ball is not fast."
youll@sportschosun.com
