'6 years ago, I got a home run against Hong Kong...' PS 3 wins, ERA 1.08, we can't help but pick. "'5 Billion FA' made a comeback as A.C.E.'
Oct 30, 2024
|
|
|
LG Twins' Lim Chan-kyu (32) was selected for the national team in place of Won Tae-in, who was excluded from the Korean baseball team due to an injury. It has been six years since the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.
Lim Chan-kyu's name was not mentioned from the beginning because it is a national team made up of young pitchers. Even when Son Joo-young was dropped due to injury, the national team convened three young pitchers, NC Kim Si-hoon and Sangmu Lee Kang-joon and Cho Min-seok, for training.
However, as Won Tae-in was also left out following Son Joo-young, two ace pitchers were left out, and the national team was in a hurry. Only Kwak Bin, Ko Young-pyo, Um Sang-baek, Choi Seung-yong, were selected agents, so the selection itself was insufficient. In the end, Lim Chan-kyu, a veteran and good pitching this season, was selected as a relief pitcher for the national team.
It is also an opportunity for Lim Chan-kyu to avenge his humiliation in the national team. At the 2018 Asian Games, Lim started against Hong Kong, which was his third game at the time. Hong Kong match was likely to be such a game because it beat Indonesia 15-0 the previous day, but it was a little different. In the bottom of the second inning with a 1-0 lead, Lim Chan-kyu allowed a hit and a second base steal to the leadoff hitter, and eventually gave up a 1-1 tie with an infield hit. And at the bottom of the fourth inning with a 5-1 lead, Hong Kong's fourth batter Holiday hit a solo shot.
It was natural to win, but it could not be good in the team's atmosphere to lose points to weak players like Hong Kong, so then national team coach Sun Dong-yeol lowered Lim Chan-kyu and raised Lee Yong-chan in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Lim Chan-kyu threw 49 pitches in four innings, allowing four hits (one home run), eight strikeouts, and two runs. That was his performance for the national team.
Now the status has changed. It's a situation where you have to play an important game. South Korea will have to play against Cuba, Japan, and the Dominican Republic for the fourth straight day, starting with Taiwan on Nov. 13. Lim Chan-kyu should play against one of these teams and lead South Korea to victory.
|
|
|
Lim Chan-kyu, who recorded 5 wins, 3 losses and 1 hold with an ERA of 4.08 in 14 games in the first half, recorded 5 wins, 3 losses and an ERA of 3.55 in 11 games in the second half. In particular, he showed remarkable pitching with 4 wins, 1 loss and an ERA of 1.66 with six quality starts in seven games from the match against Hanwha in Daejeon on August 15.
And the rise continued in the postseason. In Game 2 of the semi-playoff against KT, he became a winning pitcher with seven hits and two runs (one earned run) in five ⅓ innings, and in Game 5, he led his team to victory with three hits and one run in six innings. In the third round of the playoffs, he revived a team that had lost two consecutive games with three hits and no runs in five ⅓ innings, showing off his national ace appearance.
In all three postseason games, he became a winning pitcher, and in 16 ⅔ innings, he allowed 13 hits, three walks, 12 strikeouts, and three runs (two earned runs) with an ERA of just 1.08.
Lim Chan-kyu's advantage is that he uses his ball in the right place. If Lim Chan-kyu throws a fastball of up to 147km, he usually throws the early 140km range, so his fastball cannot be called fast. Change-ups and curves make such fastballs faster. The change-up forms a range of 120 ￣ and 130 kilometers, and the curve spans a range of 90 ￣ and 110 kilometers. Since the difference in speed is clear, if you throw a slow curve and spray a fastball, the difference in speed will reach 40 ￣ and 50 kilometers. It's fine, but it can take away the timing.
Will Lim Chan-kyu, who has emerged as LG's ace, work on the international stage. Will the Premier 12 be able to resolve the disappointment of six years ago. Just like the national team uniform that changed six years ago, Lim Chan-kyu is back with a different look
indyk@sportschosun.com
