[스포티비뉴스=시드니(호주), 김민경 기자] “He looks like Yu Hee-gwan.”
Left-handed pitcher Lee Byung-hun (20), first-round pick by the Doosan Bears, received favorable reviews from his first pitch in the bullpen. On the 1st, the first day of spring camp, Lee Byung-hun started pitching in the bullpen at Blacktown Baseball Stadium in Blacktown, Sydney, Australia. Since it was the first training day, the pitchers who played in the bullpen, including Lee Byung-hun, threw about 25 to 30 pitches, relaxed their arms, and checked their senses.
Yuji Serizawa, Doosan’s new battery coach, watched Lee Byung-hun’s pitching with interest. Coach Serizawa stood next to the catchers and checked their condition, watching as Yoon Jun-ho (23), the most inexperienced new catcher, received the ball from the pitcher. Then, when the youngest battery Lee Byung-hun and Yoon Jun-ho matched their breath, I looked at it even more interesting.
Coach Serizawa called Lee Byung-hun after pitching in the bullpen and said, “The kicking movement was very good. I thought I was watching Yoo Hee-gwan (37, retired)” and smiled.
Yoo Hee-gwan is the best left-hander in Doosan history and the elder Lee Byung-hun wants to follow. Yoo Hee-gwan joined Doosan in 2009 and remained a one-club man until 2021, appearing in 281 games and harvesting 101 wins (69 losses). He was the first left-hander in the Doosan franchise to cross the 100-win mark, setting a record for most wins that is difficult to break at this time.
Lee Byung-hun changed his uniform number to 29 after finishing last season. Number 29 has been the uniform number representing Yoo Hee-gwan. Yu Hee-gwan gave up the number 29 in hopes that a younger left-handed pitcher would continue with the uniform number, but was truly happy when Lee Byung-hun became the new owner.
Yoo Hee-gwan also asked Lee Byung-hun, “I hope that he will achieve good results so that he can become the 29th Lee Byung-hun, and even the 29th left-hander of the Bears, not the 29th that Yoo wore Hee-gwan. .”
As the 29th successor, Lee Byung-Hun began to feel good after hearing favorable reviews. Lee Byung-hun is the player Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop wanted to grow the most this season. In a situation where the team does not have left-handed pitchers, if the pitcher Lee Byung-hun takes over the bullpen, he can ease his worries not only this season but also for the next 10 years.
Coach Lee is focusing his efforts on finding a rock with great growth potential by carefully watching the pitching staff train at the start of spring camp. In addition to Lee Byung-hun and Choi Seung-yong (22), Kim Ho-joon (25) and Lee Won-jae (20) are sweating on their left hands.
Lee Byung-hun drew attention by throwing a fastball that exceeded 150 km per hour before he underwent elbow surgery in his senior year at Seoul High School. Last year, he joined Doosan and rehabbed in good health, throwing 5 innings in 9 games in the first team at the end of the season, while gaining some experience on the professional stage. Will he be able to survive the competition for the left-handed young gun in this spring camp and find a place in the left-handed Pilseungjoo that coach Lee wants?
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