Correspondent Jang Kang-hoon] It’s elegant. Twisting and unwinding, pushing and holding are done without superfluity. Driven by the rotational force of the body, the raised arm momentarily bounces the ball. He doesn’t stop at hitting the ball hard with his fingers, and even gives off the impression of pressing the ball with his fingertips until the last moment. This is the story of Choi Seung-yong (22, Doosan) who showed the meaning of ‘throwing with balance’ with his body.
If you look at the indicators alone, you are not satisfied. He pitched 8.1 innings in two appearances in exhibition games, allowing four runs on six hits, including one home run. It is encouraging that he gave up one walk while striking out eight. He left the task of raising stamina or a sense of game management, but ‘painting’ is ideal. He is revealing the possibility of becoming a constant in Doosan selection competition.메이저사이트
Doosan lacks left-handed starting pitchers. Veteran Jang Won-joon is aiming for a comeback, and second-year student Lee Byung-hun is in the process of finding a sense of stability, but there are too many variables to trust. On the surface, Choi Seung-yong is no different. Last year, he played 93.1 innings, going back and forth between the starters and the bullpen, but was not very satisfied with 3 wins, 5 holds, 7 losses, and an average ERA of 5.30.
It was competitive even in spring camp. Park Shin-ji and Kim Dong-joo were looking for an opportunity to explore. It can’t be without pressure, but Choi Seung-yong said, “The coach said, ‘Pitchers dream of being selected. Opportunities don’t come easily, so let’s do our best,’ and from the camp, I trained systematically, such as increasing my weight. He vowed to take the opportunity and remain as a full-time starter.”
Choi Seung-yong, who turned into an elite in his third year of middle school, is a pitcher with high potential and rapid growth enough to be nominated as a pro (20th overall in the second round) in just four years. He’s good at learning and has the flexibility that an athlete should have.
In the demonstration game, these two strengths stood out and attracted attention. The clean form was also noticeable, but the moment the ball was kicked, the impact improved noticeably. He kicked hard and pressed all the way to the end, which looked like a ‘textbook’. In order for his swing to be smooth and to hit the ball hard, he has to keep his upper body relaxed until the moment he throws it. If you exaggerate a little, you have to rotate and swing while maintaining only enough grip to keep the ball from falling.
Choi Seung-yong said, “I happened to read an interview article with Japanese pitcher Imana Shota (30, Yokohama). The phrase to relax and feel the weight of the ball touched me. He explained that he trained in a way to relax his upper body and concentrate his strength at the moment of impact.” He said, “I haven’t used this method for a long time, so it’s too early to judge whether it’s good or bad. So far, the feeling is not bad,” he said.
Whether pitching or batting, baseball is a sport in which condensed power must be released instantaneously. The balance and flexibility of the body must be guaranteed, and the ability to control the senses of the body must be equipped. Paradoxically, in order to use strength, you have to lose strength. It is the same context as if you want to make a high note, all the muscles in your upper body should be relaxed so that no force is applied. You can understand it with your head, but it is difficult to put it into practice with your body. It’s because I haven’t experienced it and the pressure to use strength is unnecessary.
What is expected of Choi Seung-yong this season is that he is putting that difficult task into practice. It was a demonstration game, but it spewed up to 146 km per hour, the highest speed of the season. The tip of the cheek extending like a clothesline followed as a bonus. It seems that Doosan does not have to worry too much about starting a left-handed player.
zzang@sportsseoul.com