2024-03-27 09:36:21
Finished in 8th place last year… Weak rating again this year
Connor-Reyes, consecutive QS against KT
Surprising second consecutive win in opening ceremony after 15 years
Copyright of ‘Samsung Dynasty’ cheer song also resolved… Starting today, a three-game series against last year’s champion LG.
Ahead of the opening of this year’s professional baseball regular season, it was difficult to find an expert who evaluated Samsung as a ‘top five’ player. Samsung, which ranked 8th last season, was evaluated as having a weaker starting pitching staff and batting line compared to other teams. David Buchanan, who played as an ace with 54 wins (28 losses) over the four years from 2020 to last year, left Samsung to pursue his dream of returning to the American professional baseball major league.
However, Samsung exceeded experts’ expectations in the opening two-game series held on the 23rd and 24th. They won both games against KT, the runner-up team last season and a strong contender for the championship along with LG this year. The main players in Samsung’s victory were new foreign ‘one-two punches’ Connor Siebold (registered name Connor) and Denny Reyes.
Until the exhibition game, the two players had more worries than expectations. Connor, who was supposed to be the first starter, performed poorly in two games with no wins, one loss, and an ERA of 7.00. Reyes, who was brought in as Buchanan’s replacement, was also ordinary, with 1 win and 1 loss and an ERA of 3.38.
age: 28 years old height Weight: 188cm, 95kg
1-year contract total: 1 million dollars (about 1.34 billion won)
MLB Performance: 33 games, 1 win, 1 loss, average ERA 8.12
However, when the regular season opened, the two became completely different pitchers. In the opening game on the 23rd, Connor recorded a quality start (3 earned runs or less over 6 innings pitched as a starter) with 4 hits and no walks in 6 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned run). He struck out eight while throwing 87 pitches. Connor came down the mound with the score down 1-2 and was unable to record a win or loss. Samsung’s batting line defeated KT’s new closing pitcher, Park Young-hyun, after a close overtime match, and came back to win 6-2. Samsung’s victory in the opening game was six years after the Doosan game in 2018.
age: 28 years old height Weight: 198cm, 113kg
1-year contract total: 800,000 dollars (about 1.07 billion won)
MLB Performance: 12 games, 2 losses, ERA 6.26
On the 24th, Reyes took over the baton. Reyes showed a quality start by throwing a fastball with a maximum speed of 148 km/h and various breaking balls, allowing 6 hits, 2 strikeouts, and 1 run in 6 innings. Samsung won 11-8, giving Reyes his first win in his Korean debut. It has been 15 years since Samsung won both of its opening two games in a row since its win against LG in 2009.
Samsung, which suffered 38 come-from-behind losses last year, also benefited from strengthening its bullpen. In the game on the 23rd, Lim Chang-min and Kim Jae-yoon, who were recruited last offseason, appeared on the mound in the 7th and 8th innings respectively and allowed one scoreless inning each. Oh Seung-hwan, who took the mound in the 9th inning, went through 2 innings without allowing a run until the 10th inning, becoming the winning pitcher. In the game on the 24th, when Jang Pil-jun and Kim Dae-woo, who pitched in the 9th inning, faltered, allowing 5 and 2 runs, respectively, Oh Seung-hwan stepped up as a fireman and finished the game without allowing a run and earned the save.
‘El Dorado’, the cheering song during Samsung’s dynasty in the 2010s, also provided great strength to the players. Due to a copyright issue, El Dorado was unable to hear the retirement ceremony of ‘national hitter’ Lee Seung-yeop (current Doosan coach) at the baseball stadium for the last time on October 3, 2017. However, last winter, the Samsung club resolved the copyright issue and allowed the song to be used again as a cheering song starting this season. done. El Dorado, which has a majestic melody, is sung by fans together before Samsung starts attacking in the 8th inning, regardless of whether it is a home game or a visiting game. In the opening two-game series held in Suwon, Samsung fans who filled the stands near third base sang El Dorado in unison before attacking in the top of the eighth inning. Samsung coach Park Jin-man, who won several championships while listening to this cheering song during his days as a player, said, “I felt touched and magnificent. He said, “This year, I want to win more than 80 games while listening to the fans sing El Dorado.”
Samsung will play a three-game series against defending champion LG at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul for three days starting on the 26th.
Reporter Lee Heon-jae uni@donga.com
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2024-03-27 09:36:21