"Am I a genius by any chance?" It's not a forgotten primary nomination, five-choice candidates surge

Nov 16, 2024

Jeong Dong-yoon. Photo=SSG Landers

[Kagoshima (Japan) = Reporter Na Yuri from Sports Chosun] It's not the first place that was forgotten. SSG Landers right-hander Chung Dong-yoon has emerged as a candidate for the fifth starting pitcher next year.

Chung Dong-yoon is currently receiving the most attention at the SSG closing camp in Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.

Jeong Dong-yoon, who was born in 1997 and is 27 this year, was the first SK Wyverns designated in 2016. After graduating from Yatap High School, he received a big spotlight by receiving the first nomination for a local relationship, but due to injuries, surgery and rehabilitation, he had only five chances to play in the first team until last year. Chung Dong-yoon, who found hope by raising his ball speed that had fallen from the U.S. driveline this year, left a possibility by throwing three games in the first team at the end of this season.

Manager Lee Soo-yong and pitching coach Kyung Heon-ho see Chung Dong-yoon as a candidate for the fifth starting pitcher next season. That's how much better it is. Even though he is currently in the closing camp, his maximum fastball speed was taken up to 146km in the practice game. An official from the Futures team said "A lot of bad things have decreased when pitching. It's really improved."

Jeong Dong-yoon, who is being coached by pitching coach Kyung Heon-ho. Photo =SSG Landers

Chung Dong-yoon wore a two-seam fastball and a forkball in this camp. There was a recommendation from coach Kyung Heon-ho. Jung Dong-yoon "He saw all my trackman data before the coach came to the camp. He said, 'You have an average vertical movement of a fastball, so let's throw a fighting spirit' so I threw it. The coach slightly modified the mechanical part, but when I just grabbed it and threw it once, the figure got much better in the data. The coach said 'If you can throw the fighting spirit like this, you don't have to throw the fighting spirit away' The effect of reviving the four core together while installing the two-seam was revived.

Jeong Dong-yoon, who has a good sense of fingertips, quickly acquired folk balls. "Coach Kyung Heon-ho told me to throw a fork ball, but it worked out quickly. Am I a genius myself?' Jeong Dong-yoon laughed, `I didn't try before, I was afraid. There's something I was doing, but I thought I had to throw a different pitch"I looked back.

Wearing a curve after rehabilitation has also become a big weapon. He also showed a strike with a curve in the first team this season, so he has excellent performance. Jeong Dong-yoon "When I threw in the first team at the end, I thought it was a shame to just throw a fastball and a curve, but coach Kyung Heon-ho also thought so, so he recommended me to do this or that. It seems to be going well for the first time"I found confidence.

사진=SSG 랜더스

His maximum fastball speed, which fell to about 140 kilometers last year, was raised to 149 kilometers after returning to the U.S. with the support of his club. He did not recover his arrest simply because he went to a famous academy, but he forgot about his concerns about his injury and found a good feeling by removing the elements that he was anxious about himself.

It's already been 9 years since I joined the team. I know better than anyone that I didn't meet expectations. Jeong Dong-yoon "There are things I couldn't do, and there are things that hurt whenever I tried to do it. I didn't even catch it when I had the chanceLooking back on ",I'm greedy because Kim Jae-hyun, the general manager, also looked at me and evaluated me well this season, and at the end, I think he's in the first team and he's in a good way, and director Lee Sung-yong is also in a good way." Now, I'm excited and anxious to prepare for next season with new pitches, he said honestly.

Jung Dong-yoon interviewed at Satsumasendai Finishing Camp. Photo = Reporter Na Yuri

Coach Lee Sung-yong will take Song Young-jin and Jeong Dong-yoon and several other promising players to form a competitive structure for the fifth starting position in next year's spring camp. Coach Kyung Heon-ho will also recommend Jung Dong-yoon as the fifth starting candidate, and among them, the pitcher who shows the best stable performance will be recommended for the final rotation.

Jeong Dong-yoon "I don't think I'll get sick again anymore. That feeling comes to my arm. After the camp, I will not touch the ball for about two weeks and do a lot of weight to make a body that can throw for a long time. Next year, I have a goal that I have set myself. I want to take a chance to achieve that goal in the first team," he said vigorously.

youll@sportschosun.com