“I don’t want to think about the future.”
There was only one answer to his contract renewal. “I really want to play in the postseason.”
Ryan Weiss (27, Hanwha Eagles) started the away game against the Lotte Giants at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 28th and recorded one hit, three walks and 10 strikeouts in six ⅔ innings.
Weiss, who came as a substitute for Ricardo Sanchez’s injury this season, succeeded in a “formal contract” after his six-week contract ended. Sanchez’s recovery was slow, but he highly evaluated Weiss’ skills.
Even after signing an official contract as a player, Weiss continued to throw relatively consistent pitching. He pitched eight quality starts (more than six innings as a starter and three earned runs or less) in 11 games, and has become a pillar of his starting lineup.
His good pitching at the game against Lotte on Friday was invaluable. As he lost to Lotte on Sunday (April 27), his three-game winning streak was completely dampened. As he is one game behind fifth-ranked KT Wiz, he will be able to continue the competition if he recovers.
Hanwha manager Kim Kyung-moon also showed a winning move. Amid a absence of five starting pitchers, the team has decided to deploy a foreign duo to the mound after a four-day break.
“It’s not easy for a coach to ask a player if he can take the mound a day earlier. I would appreciate it if a player readily says he likes it, but his body is life. Fortunately, everyone told me well, so I prepared for it,” manager Kim said.
Weiss performed his role 100 percent. He tightly tied Lotte’s batters with a combination of curves (19) and fork (6), centering on the fastball with maximum speed of 153 kilometers per hour. While Weiss was on the mound, the batters provided only two runs, but he performed his role as the ace 100 percent without wavering. In the end, Hanwha, which scored five runs in the top of the eighth inning, won the game 7-0. Weiss achieved his fourth win (three losses) of this season.
Coach Kim applauded after the game, saying, “Wice pitched perfectly as a starting pitcher.” 스포츠토토
“When I heard that I was going to turn on the 4th, I prepared to throw 100 percent against Lotte without consuming as much energy or stamina as possible,” Weiss said. “I thought I had more faith in him as I was going to take a four-day break to fight against the semi-finals. I did my best to repay him.”
The secret of his good pitching was to his teammate. “I felt a bit physically burdened in the sixth inning. As a result, I think he allowed a walk, but I trusted the bullpen pitcher after the game. I thank the bullpen pitcher,” he said. “I want to credit Choi Jae-hoon for today’s good pitching. As I worked with Choi for several months, I devised a great game plan. I received a lot of help when pitching on the mound.”
The team has also renewed its contract for next year. Weiss expressed satisfaction with his life at Hanwha, but he said he will focus on this season rather than next year’s contract. “The atmosphere of the team is very good, and the players take good care of it. The team atmosphere is very good,” he said. “The ultimate goal is to reach the top five and present good gifts to fans in the post season as well. There are still 24 games to go, and I am aiming to reach the top five first. I am focusing on going to the post season. I do not want to think about the future. I want to focus on the games where I can focus on and enjoy starting the remaining games.”