Thank you, but why? '5 innings, 58 pitches, one hit, no four pitches, no runs, no runs, 5K. Mystery of Kilome replacement, why did the Dominican Republic change?

Nov 17, 2024

On the 16th, the Premier 12 baseball team played against the Dominican Republic at Taipei Tiananmen Stadium in Taiwan. Dominican starter Kilome. Taipei (Taiwan) = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.11.16/

[Taipei (Taiwan) = Sports Chosun Reporter Park Sang-kyung] This is the background of Ryu Joong-il's revival. But the background is full of question marks.

The Dominican Republic met Ryu Joong-il on the 16th (Korean time). Victory was on the horizon.

Starting pitcher Franklin Kilome (29) played with the Korean batters. During the five innings, he faced 16 batters and threw just 58 pitches. He allowed his first hit to Song Sung-moon while pitching perfect with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but he handled Yoon Dong-hee to the second base on a fly ball to meet the requirement for victory. Following the first run in the second inning, the Dominican Republic added three points in the fourth inning and one point in the fifth and sixth innings to lead 6-0. Depending on the situation, Kilome was a match that could aim for a shutout.

However, coach César Martin called Kilome to the bench in the bottom of the sixth inning. Héctor Perez, who took the mound in place of him, allowed consecutive walks and even committed a throwing error to the first base, allowing two runs. Later, the Dominican Republic, which was chased by Joeli Rodriguez, who took the mound, allowed two runs, lost 6-9 in the bottom of the eighth inning with five runs.

According to baseball statistics site Baseball Reference, Kilome pitched five ⅓ innings in five games in the Mexican League Puebla this season, with a 1-1 record and a 10.13 ERA. However, the average RPM (spin per minute) of fastballs in the late 140km range, which was counted by Trackman, reached 2,600 RPM, and the best ball reached 2,800 RPM. Although the number of strikeouts was small, he easily handled Ryu Joong-il's batters, who did not have a hard time targeting the No. 1 ERA pitchers in Japan's two major leagues. He made his debut in the minor league under the Philadelphia Phillies in 2014, played for the New York Mets, and then played until Triple-A under the Washington Nationals last year.

Coach Martin said after the game, "It's a pity that I didn't get the right timing to replace the pitcher."I analyzed the cause of defeat. At the same time, regarding the reason for the replacement of Kilome "It was a good throw, but my judgment was to replace it. There were not many options," he said, further raising his curiosity.

Kilome made his big league debut with the Mets in the 2020 season. He collapsed with five home runs and nine runs in 11 ⅓ innings in four games, with an ERA of only 11.12, but he also had 13 strikeouts. The minor league's overall performance is 31-43 in 614 innings (118 starts), 3.97 ERA, 1.38 WHIP (allowing on-base per inning) and 560 strikeouts. Although he has spent most of his career in the minor leagues, he has been steadily put to the test through big league teams, which is similar to the careers of so-called 'AAAA class' pitchers heading to the Asian stage.

The Premier 12 is considered a competition that is one step below the WBC (World Baseball Classic) where big leaguers compete. However, it is also a great showcase for players seeking to advance to the big league or Asian stage. For Kilome, who has strong potential in terms of career, the competition is enough to draw a `long future.' However, given that this season has few records and the competition is taking place at the end of this season, it is also time for the event to be held management.

Ryu Joong-il survived, but it is a regrettable decision for the Dominican Republic. This is why I'm curious about Martin's inner feelings.

ppark@sportschosun.com