"Please, one more time..." There's a foreigner like this, and I won 36 ML games..The first KBO victory → 108 pitches fighting spirit story
Aug 18, 2024
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On the 17th, manager Lee Bum-ho said about KIA Tigers' Eric Lauer, who won the KBO League's matriarch with five innings of one run and all-out pitching against the LG Twins in Jamsil.
Lauer threw a total of 108 pitches until the fifth inning. In that less than 100 pitches are set to the limit number of pitches, 'Exceeding the Limit'. Lauer, who had pitched well until the second inning, had already thrown 97 pitches in the fourth inning due to a sharp increase in the number of pitches from the third inning when the LG batting order took a turn.
After finishing the bottom of the fourth inning when they were trailing 0-1, head coach Son Seung-rak and pitcher coach Jung Jae-hoon approached Lauer. They offered Lauer a replacement "Let's stop here for today". It's a natural step up to this point.
But Lauer shook his head. With a desperate look, he expressed his willingness to continue pitching to coaches Son and Jung, saying, `Let me throw one more time.' The two coaches reported this to coach Lee, who gave an OK sign saying, `Let's only go up to 110.'
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Lauer is a pitcher who has 36 wins in the U.S. Major League Baseball. He gained high expectations even before joining the Major League due to his outstanding skills that he garnered double-digit wins in a season.
However, the Korean stage was not easy. He was sluggish with four runs in three ⅔ innings against Gwangju Samsung on the 11th, and struggled against LG as the number of pitches increased. KIA bench's judgment of respecting the player's intention despite the limited number of pitches as well as supporting the batting lineup's scoring was the foundation for the first win.
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"Most foreign pitchers tend to 'OK' when they reach the limit or are willing to replace the bench," Lee said. "I felt different from any other foreign player when I saw Lauer saying he would throw more regardless of the number of pitches. I thought he was a reliable player even in a big game" expressed satisfaction.
ppark@sportschosun.com
