"Are you going to Asia? "Recommend Korea unconditionally rather than Japan" Anderson, who can't say empty words, is serious.
Aug 12, 2024
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He dreamed of becoming a major leaguer in his home country of the United States, and also got an opportunity to make a real big league call-up. In the 2021 season, he won his first major league victory with the Texas Rangers.
And in the midst of fierce competition, I had a chance to enter Asian baseball. Ahead of the 2022 season, he signed with Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Hiroshima Toyokaf and played there for two seasons.
In the first season, he recorded 3-4 with a 3.60 ERA in 13 games and 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA in 21 games in the second season. He went back and forth between the starting pitcher and the bullpen, and his performance in the second season was definitely better than in the first season.
However, instead of continuing to challenge himself in Japan, he sought to return to the Major League. He signed a minor contract with the Detroit Tigers ahead of this season. Although it received attention from KBO League clubs, including SSG, from early on, it was determined that he wanted to try to enter the big league.
But the timing was exquisite. SSG quickly started looking for a replacement player when Robert Duggar was unable to adapt at the beginning of the season, and sent a love call back to Anderson, who was in a difficult situation to get a big league call-up opportunity in Detroit. This time, he responded, and the trip to Korea took place.
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He evaluated KBO league hitters as `10 out of 10.' "Before I came to Korea, I didn't draw any images of Korean hitters. But when it comes, the level is very high. It's not the other team, but I think our team Choi Jung is the best hitter in the KBO League" was followed by an explanation.
When asked if he would recommend the KBO League to players who are in a similar situation to him and are considering going to Asia before coming to Korea, Anderson answered "100%". He "I would definitely recommend Korea over Japan. I think the baseball I experienced here is better. I'm doing a lot more to my baseball as well. Baseball in the league itself is fun, food is delicious, it is treated well, and the treatment and care of the players are well done. And the overall atmosphere seems to be much more relaxed. I want to recommend Korea over Japan," he replied.
Although the overall level of the league, especially the level of pitchers, is evaluated to be higher in the NPB than in the KBO League, it cannot be denied that the KBO League is in a better environment from the perspective of 'foreign players' who have experienced both leagues. NPB also has foreign players, and the possession restriction pool is wide, so competition for survival among foreign players is very fierce.
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Anderson does not say empty words at all, but when he talked about the KBO League environment, he was deeply sincere.
Having experienced both starting and bullpen in the U.S. and Japan, he surprisingly prefers the bullpen a little more. Anderson "I personally think the bullpen is a little bit more right. But throwing the ball is the same anyway. "Even if you go out to the bullpen, you throw six innings a week, and even if you go out as a starter, it's similar," he said with a smile.
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Anderson said "Everything is fine physically, but I think the physical part is definitely a little less. I want to do well until the end without any injuries" he said. The coaching staff will give Anderson a break by adjusting the interval between his appearances this weekend.
youll@sportschosun.com
