Hanwha pitcher Lee Tae-yang is a rare player who left for a trade and returned to his former team as a free agent. He rejected the team that offered a better amount and made a comeback by signing a free agent contract with Hanwha for 2.5 billion won for 4 years. On the day of the contract, Taeyang Lee said, “The team brought me back for a reason. I will prepare according to the team situation rather than personal greed. I received the money, so I have to do as I am told,” he laughed. 안전놀이터
Lee Tae-yang, who contributed to the overall victory at SSG last year as an all-weather pitcher, is in charge of the same task at Hanwha. At the point of completing his first half, Lee Taeyang is practicing his promise. He is 1 win, 2 holds, 2.30 earned run average and 36 strikeouts in 31 games, 43 innings pitched. Based on KBO’s official Sports 2 Eye, WAR is 1.14, 30th overall in the league and 7th among relief pitchers, 1st on the team.
During the opening month, there was only one foreign pitcher, and the mound would have been difficult to roll properly without Lee Tae-yang due to the circumstances of the Hanwha team, which had poor 4th and 5th inning digestibility. He appeared in two games as a substitute starter, and was called up to the mound whenever the team needed it, regardless of the score or point of view. Rescue of 2 or more innings Multi-innings are also 5 games. He played 37⅓ innings, the most of any bullpen on the team, even excluding the starting 5⅔.
Lee Tae-yang said, “I think throwing is my best selling regardless of position. I was recognized for playing baseball like that and came back to Hanwha as a free agent. Nothing is too difficult as long as you anticipate and prepare to a certain extent. I try to get results from any position,” he said. “I threw a lot of innings, but the coaching staff manages it well. There is only one fight. Recently, it’s not too much because they cut it by one inning.” Last April 15th and 16th, Suwon KT was the only consecutive fight, and in the last 7 games, all of them were cut off by 1 inning.
Along with Chae Eun-seong, who leads the batting line, he plays an active role as an FA model student in pitching and is becoming the protagonist of Hanwha’s rebound. Lee Tae-yang said, “It’s not because Eun-seong and I came here, but I think it’s time for the hard times young players have been through to shine. It’s time to do well. I’m not trying to keep losing baseball,” he praised the hard work of his juniors who endured the difficult rebuilding period in 10th place over the past three years.
As the pitcher’s team leader, there has been a lot of ‘nagging’ to juniors. Lee Tae-yang said, “I don’t know how others see it, but after winning the championship, I think my view of baseball has broadened. As the number of years accumulated, I experienced both good and bad things.” “There are still young players who do not have a routine or their own. He says get into good habits before you have a routine. Even if you get old, if the habit is maintained, it becomes a routine. It is natural that exercising on a hot day like today is difficult. If you do this, you won’t get better right away, but if you eat with a different mindset, small changes can become big.”
Lee Taeyang’s sincerity was conveyed not only to the 1st team, but also to the Futures players who are struggling in the 2nd team. Lee Tae-yang, who shot coffee trucks in Seosan last month, said, “I didn’t copy (Choi) Jae-hoon hyung,” and shook his hand, saying, “Futures is the hardest when it gets hot. It’s not a big deal, but I sent it with the meaning of cheering up, and they said thank you.”
Lee Tae-yang, who was a key bullpen pitcher when Hanwha entered the fall baseball after ending a 10-year dark period in 2018, said, “Everything has to be in order to get results. “I have to follow a lot of luck,” he said. “The team atmosphere and flow are good right now, but I don’t know what will happen in the second half. Bad times may come, but the most important thing is not to go down and do it consistently. Personally, I am not satisfied with my current position. You have to be greedy until the day you quit baseball. Only then can we develop.”