He once competed in the Asian Games under the Korean flag and won a gold medal for his country as a backup pitcher. Just six months ago, he became the team’s highest-paid non-free agent pitcher for his dedication last year. But why have they fallen into a losing streak this season?
The Doosan Bears and Kiwoom Heroes met for the 14th time this season in the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on March 3.
Doosan manager Lee Seung-yup pulled Kwon Hwi with runners on first and second in the top of the fourth inning, trailing 0-4, and put in Kim Myung-shin, who had been a reliable man last year, in the closer’s role to prevent further runs.
It was a shame to fall into the so-called losing group, but the pitching content was not the same as last year’s Kim Myung-shin. He pitched two innings, but was hit hard by the Kiwoom bats, giving up four runs on eight hits and one walk with three strikeouts. After giving up a leadoff single to Kim Jae-hyun, a walk to Lim Byung-wook and a single to Lee Joo-hyung, he allowed four consecutive hits to Kim Hye-sung (RBI), Song Sung-moon, Choi Joo-hwan (RBI), and Byun Sang-kwon (RBI) to put runners on second and third with two outs.
Kim Myung-shin took the mound again in the top of the fifth, and after giving up back-to-back singles to Kim Jae-hyun and Lim Byung-wook and a walk to Lee Joo-hyung to load the bases, he gave up a single to left field to Kim Hye-sung.
In the top of the eighth,
With the deficit at 2-13, Park Chi-guk, once known as a must-win reliever, took the mound. He gave up a leadoff single to Kim Gun-hee and a double to Lee Joo-hyung in right-center to put runners on second and third, but Song Sung-moon followed with a double to left. The final line was two innings, three hits, no walks, three strikeouts and two runs on 28 pitches.
Doosan suffered a 5-15 loss to Kiwoom amid mound struggles, dropping its second straight after winning three straight.
Both Kim Myung-shin and Park Chi-guk were once key players in Doosan’s back end. There was a time when Kim Myung-shin was known as the “icon of dedication” and Park Chi-guk as the “must-win submarine”. It’s their job to handle the so-called garbage innings when the game is already in hand, like in a three-game series.
Last year, Kim’s all-weather performance helped Doosan return to the postseason for the first time in two years. Rain or shine, he was on the mound when the team needed him, going 3-3 with one save and 24 holds in 70 games with a 3.65 ERA, 사설 토토사이트 and as a result, he signed a four-year contract for 2024 worth 225 million won, up 80 million won from 145 million won. Along with ranking third in the league in bullpen innings pitched, the Bears’ pitcher became the highest-paid non-free agent in baseball.
After working 75-plus innings for the second straight year,
Kim headed to spring training with the second team instead of the first to focus on rest and recovery. He quickly picked up his velocity and earned a spot on the opening day roster, but he struggled and bounced back and forth between the first and second teams. Kim has struggled to find his groove this year, with a record of 2-2, 1-4, and an 8.24 ERA in 34 games.
“Actually, Kim Myung-shin overworked himself a lot last year,” said manager Lee Seung-yeop in a weekend meeting in his office. “His pitches are not bad now, but the average velocity of pitchers in the league has definitely increased. Kim Myung-shin is the type of pitcher who controls his strength with his fastball, but he seems to have less power and speed than other pitchers. If the starting pitcher throws 150 kilometers and Kim Myung-shin throws 140 kilometers, it is bound to be familiar to the hitters.”
Park Chi-guk is a right-handed sidearm pitcher who was drafted by Doosan with the 10th overall pick in the second round of the 2017 KBO Draft. In his rookie year, he was an integral part of a dominant pitching staff with an uncharacteristic competitive spirit that earned him a spot on the 2018 Asian Games team in Jakarta and Palembang, where he won a gold medal. Park went 1-5 with a 3.63 ERA in 67 games with 17 saves and three shutouts that year, marking the birth of Doosan’s 10th best pitcher of the decade.
In the midst of his success,
Park complained of elbow pain during spring training in 2021 and underwent elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in July. He returned to the first team in June 2022 after a lengthy rehabilitation, but after playing 15 games, he felt discomfort in his elbow ligaments and had to undergo another six-month long rehabilitation.
Park regained his form from last year’s gold medal-winning squad in Lee Seung-yup’s first year as head coach. In 62 appearances, he pitched 52⅔ innings, going 5-3 with two saves, 11 holds, and a 3.59 ERA. Park was recognized as a key member of the Bears’ closer’s rotation, coming in at crucial times to protect leads.
This year, Park has been labeled as one of Lee’s go-to guys, but he has struggled with a 2-2 record, one save, and a 7.41 ERA in 39 appearances. His slump began in April, giving way to juniors like Choi Ji-kang, Lee Byung-heon, and Kim Taek-yeon, and he hasn’t been able to turn things around even after being moved to the losing group. It’s an unfamiliar sight for Park to take the mound with a big deficit, and he’s even been sent to the second team twice while struggling.
“Park has good pitches, but his strike-to-ball ratio is not good,” said Lee Seung-yeop. Hitters don’t find it that difficult because the difference between strike and ball is so big,” Lee lamented.
Doosan’s young bullpen,
Doosan’s young bullpen, which has been responsible for the first half of the season, has been suffering from physical overload since the summer. Choi Ji-kang, one of Lee Seung-yeop’s MVPs in the first half, and Lee Young-ha are out injured, and Lee Byung-heon and Kim Taek-yeon are being carefully managed, but they are being called upon as often in the second half as they were in the first. Veterans such as Hong Gun-hee and Kim Kang-ryul continue to contribute. The bullpen is in desperate need of a rebound from Park Chi-guk and Kim Myung-shin, who have plenty of experience in the bullpen.
“With Choi Ji-kang and Lee Young-ha out, we need the experienced middle relievers to play a big role,” said Lee Seung-yup. However, there is no such effect yet,” Lee said, “There are still more than 30 games left. I think it’s time for experienced pitchers to do it,” and wished the two players a speedy recovery.
