This is a situation that will truly be a ‘act of God.’
When the LG Twins acquired Choi Won-tae by giving three prospects to the Kiwoom Heroes, including a first-round draft pick, what LG wanted was the role of a domestic ace. At the time, other than Lim Chan-gyu, the domestic selection was weak, so a solid domestic selection like Choi Won-tae was needed.
But now Choi Won-tae’s role has been upgraded. At the time of his recruitment, he was the 3rd starter, but now Choi Won-tae will be the 2nd starter in the Korean Series. When Choi Won-tae was brought in, something unimaginable happened.
Foreign pitcher Adam Plutko, who had 11 wins in the first half of the season, was unable to throw the ball due to a bruised left pelvic bone. As a result, the order was naturally moved forward, and Choi Won-tae took on the position of second starter in the Korean Series.
Coming to LG, it wasn’t that good. He arrived in a trade on July 29th, and the next day, he was good as he became the winning pitcher against Doosan with 6 scoreless innings, but he showed ups and downs and performed poorly after that. Choi Won-tae, who appeared in 17 games for Kiwoom and recorded 6 wins, 4 losses, and an ERA of 3.25, did not do so well when he came to LG, going 3 wins, 3 losses, and an average ERA of 6.70 in 9 games.
After the game against Doosan on September 30, when LG confirmed the regular league championship, LG coach Yeom Kyung-yeop immediately removed him from the first team. The intention was to restore his stamina and prepare early for the Korean Series. And on the 23rd, he appeared in his own Blue and White match and pitched one inning.
Because the opposing batters were hitting quickly, he only threw 9, and the highest speed of his fastball was 145 km. In the future, he plans to raise the number of pitches to 70 and take the mound in the Korean Series. Choi Won-tae said, “I threw a change-up and a curveball,” and “The change-up was popular. I missed the course… I wasn’t satisfied, but I will make up for the shortcomings as I prepare in the future.”
He pitched in a total of 13 games in the postseason, including the wild card game, semi-PO, PO, and Korean series, but has yet to win. In particular, in the 5th game of the Korean Series against SSG Landers last year, they experienced the pain of allowing Kim Kang-min to hit a three-run shot to end the comeback.
Choi Won-tae, who said he was a little embarrassed because he did not contribute much to the team even when winning the regular season, expressed his desire to contribute to the team’s victory in the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years. He expressed his determination, saying, “I really want to get my first win in the Korean Series this time.”안전놀이터
Choi Won-tae said, “It’s a big game, so we’re preparing by paying attention to command and location. Our team is good in both pitching and hitting, so no matter which team we face, we just have to do well. Rather than being conscious of the opponent, if each individual’s preparation comes out well, we can do well.” “I think things will go well as the gears mesh well,” he said, expressing his faith in his colleagues.
His eagerness to win was the same for him who joined in the middle. Choi Won-tae said, “The burden is the same for everyone. It is the player’s job to overcome it well. I went to the Korean Series twice and was runner-up both times. I will definitely win this time.”