“It was worth the FA money”… Without Lee Tae-yang for 50G and 100 innings, we would have been last again.
“I think it was worth it.”
Lee Tae-yang (33-Hanhwa), a quick-talking woman, thinks very highly of herself. No one would argue with that assessment. If Lee hadn’t returned as a free agent, Hanwha might have finished last again. The four-year, 2.5 billion won deal was a “success investment” for the “all-weather pitcher,” who pitched 101⅓ innings in 50 games, splitting time between starting and relief.
Lee made her final appearance of the season on May 15 against Lotte in Daejeon. Although she didn’t get the win, her five innings of four hits (one home run), one walk, four strikeouts, and two runs (no earned) paved the way for Hanwha’s 7-4 victory. In his 50th start of the season, he piled up the numbers on both sides of the plate, surpassing the 100-inning mark (100⅓).
Lee topped the 100-inning mark for the third straight season, appearing in 12 starts and 38 relief appearances this season, finishing with a 3-3 record, 2.32 ERA, and 72 strikeouts. Of the 48 pitchers in the KBO who have appeared in 50 or more games, only Lee and SSG’s Moon Seung-won (105 innings in 50 games) have pitched more than 100 innings.
After starting the season with an emergency appearance on Opening Day as the next pitcher to replace Butch Smith, who was forced to withdraw due to a sudden injury, Lee has been used in all weather conditions as the team needs, including bullpen long relief, closer, chaser, and substitute starter. With his versatility on the mound, 카지노사이트킴 he was constantly called upon whenever there was a big or small change. Hanwha manager Choi Won-ho said, “I’m very grateful to him from the perspective of running the team,” and called him a “good pitcher.”
In mid-August, a hole opened up in the starting rotation. He finished the final 10 games as a starter. Throughout the middle and late part of the season, he kept changing roles, and once he was in the rotation, he worked on increasing his pitch count. Despite the difficulties, he finished the season without ever leaving the first team.
After the 15th game, Lee said, “It’s great to finish the season injury-free. Personally, I’m more proud of the fact that I pitched 100 innings for three years in a row, not just as a starter, but as a reliever. It’s not easy to do that without getting injured,” he said. “As you get older, you tend to wear down physically faster. I’ve been training as much as I can and trying to make up for it with my athleticism.”
For Lee, who returned to his hometown team Hanwha last winter in a four-year, 2.5 billion won deal, it was significant that he was able to withstand the weight of free agency. “At first, when I came back, I had a lot of pressure to show a different side to the club, my teammates, and the fans because I had a good experience with a good team,” he said. “So at first, I thought, ‘What am I doing? I wasn’t playing baseball. At some point, I let that go. I thought I was going to do half of what I did last year, and I think I finished not too badly. I think I got my money’s worth,” he laughs.
The fact that the team succeeded in breaking through after four years is also something that the pitching coach and senior attaches great importance to. “All the team members worked really hard this year,” said Lee. I’m glad to see that we played better than last year and the year before. I think the younger players should use this experience to go to a higher level. Professional athletes are done when they lose confidence on the field. Now that we’ve done that (by qualifying), we can only go up. I want everyone on the team to be confident and ready for next season.”
While Lee has been competitive this year, going 2-3 with a 3.75 ERA in 12 starts and securing a spot in the rotation, he is ready to take on any task for the team next year. “I don’t know what position I’ll be in next year, but if it’s a starter or bullpen, I’ll be ready. As long as I’m not sick, I’ll be able to perform on the mound. I will pay attention to that next year,” said Lee.