3,000 years of annual salary in the U.S. → Harsh failure against LG → Can it be seen in the first team of pitchers who foster 150km of light speed

Mar 03, 2025

KIA Hong Won-bin is pitching hard in a practice game between LG and KIA at Kin Stadium in Okinawa, Japan, on the 27th. Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2025.02.27/

Same first pitch fastball, different results.

I think they were looking forward to this kind of performance.

It was a pitch that erased the "nightmare" 'reversal'. It was a pitch that saw hope and checked homework. It's about the KIA Tigers 'Light Speed Fostering Player' Hong Won-bin.

Hong Won-bin played one inning in a practice game against the Samsung Lions at Onnason Akama Stadium in Okinawa, Japan on the 2nd.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, when the team was losing 4-8, he comforted manager Lee Bum-ho, who gave him a chance by making a three-out inning. KIA has lost four consecutive practice games, but Hong Won-bin showed his potential, raising expectations for the future.

Hong Won-bin met Jeon Byung-woo, the first batter. Attention was drawn to how to throw the first pitch. This is because it was important what kind of confidence the inexperienced pitcher, who had a terrible result in the previous game, showed when he got a chance again. If you show a 'not scared' fight here, you can trust the coaching staff and give him a chance in the future.

Hong Won-bin got his first real opportunity in a practice game against the LG Twins on the 27th of last month. He trained himself with the number 21. However, as he threw a fastball over 150 kilometers, Lee and his club had high expectations. The key was how to throw in practice.

KIA Hong Won-bin is pitching hard in a practice game between LG and KIA at Kin Stadium in Okinawa, Japan, on the 27th. Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2025.02.27/

It was the worst. He threw the first pitch confidently against the lead, Lee Joo-heon, but he got a hit. Center fielder Kim Ho-ryeong even made an error. The crisis of second base with no outs. Inexperienced players get twisted from here. If the game doesn't work out on the counter, you panic and get nervous. During Choi Won-young's sacrifice bunt, he was embarrassed and made a defensive throwing error. With no outs, runners on the first and third bases. In addition, catcher Han Jun-su made a mistake to throw to the second base, making Hong even more difficult. After allowing a steal to the third base, he made a home run 'Andromeda Throw' when he hit an infield grounder. And against the next batter, he committed a wild pitch that completely missed the catcher. He couldn't fill one inning, and he was replaced with only one out count.

Players who are in such an unstable position may not get a chance again if the manager and the pitching coach think 'I can't do it.' However, coach Lee gave Hong Won-bin another chance. It meant that expectations were still valid.

How did he throw the first pitch against Jeon Byung-woo. It was a fastball in the middle. This alone deserved a passing grade. And Jeon Byung-woo hit a fly to right field. The timing was right to some extent, but the 150km fastball was so good that it was pushed back, and the distance decreased.

KIA Hong Won-bin is pitching hard in a practice game between LG and KIA at Kin Stadium in Okinawa, Japan, on the 27th. Okinawa (Japan) = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2025.02.27/

The next batter is Shim Jae Hoon. It was the same. I only looked at the center and threw it. 150km high fastball, which could have been seen as a real throw, but it won the strength. A fly to right field again. And the last batter, Soo Soo-ho, also threw a fastball in the middle of 150km and turned it into a fly to left field.

There was no such thing as the game against LG. He was brave. The ball power is so good that even if you can throw it only in the middle, it can be a weapon for the bullpen. But that alone does not make him a first-team fixture. As mentioned above, Shim Jae-hoon's ball was dangerous. It was a course that a first-team central hitter could lead to a long shot. He grabbed two outs and hit the first ball against Su-ho. If your ball control is too jagged, you can't give trust.

Hong Won-bin has a story of a player with an annual salary of 30 million won leaving the U.S. training at his own expense ahead of this season due to the ups and downs of receiving a top professional nomination and falling into a nurturing player. Will Hong Won-bin, who has a chance to turn around against Samsung, be able to see him on the first-team stage this year.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.