亞 Pitcher Jung Woo-ram, most featured player, “I’m happy to play in my retirement game”

by times news cr

Debut in 2004, 15 seasons with 50G or higher
64 wins, 47 losses, 197 saves, 145 holds.
Two-time hold champion and save title
Working as a pitching coach without pitching this year… On the 29th, retirement ceremony day, against 1 batter

Pitcher Jung Woo-ram, who has appeared in the most games in Korean professional baseball history, takes off his player uniform after making his 1,005th career appearance on the mound in his team Hanwha’s final game of the season on the 29th. The photo is from the Lotte match on October 16 last year, when Jung Woo-ram played for the 1004th time. Provided by Hanwha Eagles

“I’m happy to be able to face at least one batter on the mound and say hello to the fans.”

Jeong Woo-ram (39, Hanwha) said this on the 26th, three days before his retirement ceremony, saying, “I was unable to greet the fans as a player this season, but I am retiring. “I was continuing to practice because I thought I might get a chance to pitch (on the day of my retirement), but yesterday I heard that I was confirmed to pitch (against one batter),” he said. Starting in 2021, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) is allowing over-registration for game entries only for players who are having a retirement ceremony.

Jung Woo-ram, a left-handed bullpen representative of Korean professional baseball, will hold a retirement ceremony at Daejeon Home Stadium on the 29th, when his team Hanwha’s last game of the season is held. Woo-Ram Jeong is the pitcher with the most appearances in Korean professional baseball history. After graduating from Gyeongnam Commercial High School (now Bugyeong High School) and debuting as a professional player at SK (now SSG) in 2004 at the age of 19, he pitched in 1,004 games until last season. Even if you expand the scope to all of Asia, including Japan and Taiwan, it is the most appearances in a single league. Excluding the 2013 and 2014 seasons during his military service, he played in the first-team league for a total of 18 seasons, and there were 15 seasons in which he played more than 50 games. He appeared in 82 games in 2006 and 85 games in 2008. At the time, each team played 126 games per season, which was more than 65% of the team’s total games.

However, Jung Woo-ram did not appear in a single game this year. After the end of last season, in which he played 52 games, Jung Woo-ram consulted with the club and took on the role of ‘playing coach’ (player and coach). This season, without appearing in any first-team games, he has been helping young players grow as a pitching coach for the remaining teams. Jeong Woo-ram expressed regret, saying, “I checked myself a lot to see if my physical condition had improved since I had rested a bit, but I decided that it would not be easy (to start the mound).” He said, “Starting around the summer, I mentally prepared myself and approached the players as if I were ‘just a coach.’”

Jung Woo-ram won the Hold King twice (2008, 2011). When he transferred from SK to Hanwha as a free agent after the 2015 season, he recorded the highest salary ever paid for a bullpen pitcher (4 years, 8.4 billion won). In 2018, he became the save king (35 saves) and led Hanwha to the postseason. It remains Hanwha’s last fall baseball season. Despite this title, Jung Woo-ram said, “I am not a great player. “I think they recognize me because I’ve been on the mound consistently for a long time,” he said. “I cherished every day without looking far away.”

Jung Woo-ram has a record of 64 wins, 47 losses, 197 saves, 145 holds, 937 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.18 in 977 and 1/3 innings pitched in 1,004 games. It’s a little short of 1,000 innings, 200 saves, and 1,000 strikeouts. Jeong Woo-ram said, “Because our team is still rebuilding, there are times when we are less greedy. “I think I could have achieved it if I had worked harder, but I still feel more happy than disappointed because I gained so much more,” he said. In Korean professional baseball, only two players have achieved 100 saves and 100 holds in their career, including Jung Woo-ram and Samsung coach Jeong Dae-hyun (106 saves and 121 holds).

Woo-Ram Jeong said this, citing the period of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) as the saddest time while playing baseball. “At the time, we played baseball in an empty stadium. I felt like I couldn’t use my strength because there were no fans. The best part came when I heard the cheers of fans at the baseball stadium. “I think the biggest regret will be not being able to hear that shout from now on.”


Reporter Lim Bomi [email protected]

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2024-09-27 04:50:32

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