All the pitchers who tried to use the must-win group are sluggish. LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop took out a new card.
He is Lee Jong-joon (23), a promising right-handed player who was recruited through the second round of the draft, which he originally intended to use only next season. He joined the NC Dinos as the 81st player in the ninth round of the second round in 2000 after graduating from Gunsan High School. LG’s radar showed him throwing in the education league after being discharged from the military last year, and LG surprisingly selected him in the third round of the second draft.
Regarding Lee Jong-joon, LG said, “He is tall (1 meter 91) and has fast speed of mid to late 140 kilometers. I chose him after considering his future growth potential by resolving his military duty.”
In April, he played in the first team for about 40 days before moving down to the second team. Back then, he played in 10 games as a pursuit team, and posted an ERA of 3.86 without losing or losing a game.
On August 9, he came back to the first team and has shown good performance. He has a 0.00 ERA in nine games without winning or losing.
He pitched when the team was still losing or leading big, but he pitched more stably.
He took the mound in a situation where he took the lead for the first time. He took the mound in the top of the eighth inning with a 5-0 lead at home against SSG Landers held at Jamsil Stadium on the 4th.
Was he nervous about taking the mound amid the lead situation? Lee Jong-joon, who allowed a walk to leadoff pinch hitter Choi Jun-woo after a full count match, caught Lee Ji-young on a fly to right field, and allowed a hit as he failed to catch Jeong Joon-jae’s surprise bunt hit properly. With one out and runners on the first and second bases, pinch hitter Park Sung-han entered the batter’s box at No. 9 Kim Sung-hyun, but Lee Jong-joon struck out the rookie with a fastball of 146 kilometers, and Choo also handled it with a fly to center field to end the game scoreless. 스포츠토토
When asked about Lee Jong-joon in the game on the 5th, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said, “I went out by 5 points yesterday (4th), so I’m going to put him on the mound next time when he’s tighter,” adding, “I think it’s important how to mentally overcome the burden in the lead situation.”
If LG gains experience by blocking the team from leading at the end of the season, it can become a must-win group. For LG, which failed to properly set a must-win group this season, Lee Jong-joon could be an important card in the post season immediately.