The pitcher who Kim Ha-sung said he knows well, and manager Yeonggwang, who started the opening game, said it's a secret for a while
Feb 17, 2025
|
|
The Tampa Bay Times (TBT), the largest media outlet in western Florida, reported on the 17th (Korea time) 'Shane McClanahan said it was an honor to lower his posture after being notified of his starting position in the opening game.'He is the fourth pitcher in Tampa Bay history to start the opening game more than three times.
The 17th was the day Tampa Bay held its first training session with all the players gathered at Fort Charlotte Sports Center in Florida.
McClanahan, who stopped by the weight room after training, moved to the coach's office after hearing from training coach Brian King that Kevin Cash was looking for him. McClanahan told TBT "It's my first day, so I don't know what I did. I thought I'd scold you for something."
However, as soon as Coach Cash saw McClanahan, he praised him and hugged him, saying there was good news. He notified him that he was the starting pitcher for the opening game.
McClanahan said, `The moment I heard the director say, I felt how proud he was of me"We talked for a while in a good atmosphere and gave a hug. And then we talked about this season."
Coach Cash asked not to reveal it until an official announcement was made, but he said in an interview with local media on the same day as Tampa Bay President Matt Silverman was confirmed to have mentioned the opening pitcher on the FanFest radio corner the day before.
Tampa Bay will play its opening game at home against the Colorado Rockies on March 29. Tampa Bay will play its home game this year at Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees spring training site, as Tropicana Field is undergoing renovation due to damage to its roof due to typhoons.
|
McClanahan, who was born in April 1997, made his major league debut in 2021 and became an ace at once with 10-6 losses, 3.43 ERA and 141 strikeouts. In 2022, he pitched 166 ⅓ innings in 28 games, losing 12-8 with a 2.54 ERA and 194 strikeouts, rising to sixth place in the Cy Young Award voting.
However, after going 11-2 with a 3.29 ERA in 21 games in 2023, he ended the season with an elbow injury after the game against the New York Yankees on August 3. He immediately went into rehabilitation after receiving Tommy John Surgery and took a full rest last year.
However, in an interview with local media after arriving at the Tampa Bay camp on the 15th, Kim Ha-sung drew attention by saying, `I know our ace Shane McClanahan well.' Kim Ha-sung met McClanahan at two at-bats during his time in San Diego and had no hits in two at-bats. He was pressed by his powerful pitch at the time.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
