"I've had a lot of abuse too..." The first designation of the right-hander is turned into a happy event for the right-hander, who made me forget the nightmare of excessive four-and-a-half throwing

"I've had a lot of abuse too..." The first designation of the right-hander is turned into a happy event for the right-hander, who made me forget the nightmare of excessive four-and-a-half throwing

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Samsung Lions right-hander Hwang Dong-jae (24) had to undergo a grueling test in last year's spring camp. He had a practice match with a Japanese pro team at the Okinawa camp, but he had difficulty controlling his ball. He overused his pitches, and even threw hitters' pitches in succession. Hwang had no choice but to ponder on the mound. As such, he was substituted after allowing one hit and four outs in one inning at a practice game against the Nippon Ham Fighters on Feb. 17, 2024.토토사이트

Nippon Ham manager Tsuyoshi Shinjo, then Samsung's opponent in the practice game, told Japanese media, "I was really scared. I just thought what if the players got a fracture. I would have avoided the outermost part of the batter's box." It was a practice game, but I had to worry about my injury. Hwang had a hard time controlling the ball.

However, after going through a period of adjustment in the second division after the season's opening, Hwang returned as a different player. He sweated hard to get back on his feet at Gyeongsan, where the second division stadium is located. The coaching staff also actively assisted Hwang. Kang Young-sik, then the pitching coach for the Samsung Futures team, managed Hwang within a short distance.

Coach Jung Dae-hyun, who saw this closely, testified, "Coach Kang Young-sik really tried hard. When I first saw Hwang Dong-jae, he seemed to have lost a lot of mental and sensory parts. It was bad in the beginning, but at one point, he got the hang of it. He played consistently, pitched well once, and gained confidence. As coach Kang Young-sik pointed out the complementary points, Hwang Dong-jae also threw his ball."

Now he is a pitcher who can put the ball wherever he wants. It is not easy to recall Hwang having a hard time on the mound. He throws strikes with confidence. In the latter half of this season, he also played as a starting pitcher. He pitched 42 innings in 15 games during the 2024 season, with one win and two losses and an ERA of 4.07.

Coach Park Jin-man also welcomed Hwang's change. "We played a lot of practice games with Japanese teams during the spring camp. However, we gained experience by having young players participate in the games," said Park Jin-man. "Japan's lineup is mostly comprised of key players. Our experience with such teams seems to have laid the foundation for the growth of our pitchers," he said, expressing delight at the growth of young pitchers including Hwang Dong-jae.

Hwang continued to play in the postseason as well. His presence was highlighted in Game 3 of the playoffs against the LG Twins. Hwang allowed one hit, three walks, and three strikeouts in three innings. "I will play as if I were the first pitcher, not the starting pitcher. I am not particularly nervous, but I think all pitchers who participate in the postseason should do well," Hwang said before, completing his duties perfectly.

He recently went on to study in the U.S. He went on to train at CSP, a baseball program facility in West Palm Beach, Florida. After three weeks of training, he returned to the team, and is gearing up to prepare for next season.

Born in Kyungpook National High School, Hwang joined Samsung through the first round of designation in 2020. With his robust physique measuring 191 centimeters tall and weighing 97 kilograms, Hwang drew attention as a right-handed orthodox who scores high RBIs when he was in high school. However, he had a strong professional background and rarely found his place in the first division.

The 2024 season, however, is expected to be a turning point in Hwang's career. He seems to have gained confidence and found some answers in his baseball career. With the addition of Choi Won-tae, a free agent pitcher, Samsung has confirmed its fifth starting lineup. Hwang Dong-jae will likely strengthen his position in the bullpen. Attention is focusing on whether Hwang will be able to continue his upward trajectory.