Lotte→Dusan ‘132 wins & 200 innings’ legend retires, but there may not be a grand retirement ceremony…Legendary period mystery “May he be remembered as a player who did his best rather than the best”

“I shudder to think of it~”

The ‘best left-handed pitcher’ of an era. He announced his retirement.

The Doosan Bears announced the retirement of Jang Won-jun (38) on April 28.

After graduating from Busan High School, Jang joined the Lotte Giants as the first overall pick in 2004. Although he didn’t have a 150-kilometer-per-hour fastball that overwhelmed opponents, he quickly rose to become a top left-handed starter thanks to his reliable delivery and savvy game management.

Starting with 12 wins in 2008, he won double-digit wins for eight consecutive years, except for his time in the police baseball team (2012-2013), and became known as the “synonym of steadiness.

Jang was also an icon of human triumph. After winning 14 games in 2017, he won just three in 2018 due to injuries and poor form. His career win clock stopped at 129.

One win away from 130.

It would take Jang Won-jun five years to make up for that one win, as he had been racking up double-digit wins every year. From 2019 to 2022, he didn’t win a game and was on the verge of retirement.

As the club contemplated his release and retirement, Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop, who took over ahead of the 2023 season, said he wanted to give him one last chance. A hard-won opportunity. Jang prepared as a starter in the Futures League, and ultimately fulfilled his role as a substitute starter this season, becoming the 11th pitcher in history to reach 130 wins. In 11 games, he went 3-5 with a 5.27 ERA.

In the final game of the regular season, which decided the team’s standings, Jang pitched 4⅓ innings to become the ninth player in history to reach 2,000 innings.

Jang’s “baseball life” also changed the way the KBO thinks about starting pitchers.

Prior to Jang, it was widely believed that starting pitcher free agents were unlikely to succeed. Before the 2015 season, Jang signed a four-year, $8.4 billion contract with Doosan, and he won 12 games in his first year, helping the team win the Korean Series. In 2016, he won 15 games and helped the team win the integrated title. 카지노사이트

He’s a legend, and he deserves a grand retirement ceremony.

However, Jang Won-jun’s retirement ceremony may not happen.

This is because Jang Won-jun himself is struggling. I’m worried that they won’t do it, but even if they do, I don’t want to. I wonder why.

He’s a quiet introvert. He feels overwhelmed by too much attention.

“It’s hard when my personality is in the spotlight,” he says, despite pitching in front of a packed house. As a player, I focus on the game, but when I think about speaking in front of so many people, I want to run away,” he said.

As much as Jang Won-jun wants to play, the club cannot force him to do so.

However, since he was one of the best pitchers in the KBO, the team plans to talk to him.

“The player’s wishes are important. We will discuss it.” Several players also expressed their desire for Jang to have a retirement ceremony.

In keeping with his personality, the image he wants to be remembered for is also simple. “I want to be remembered more as a player who did his best in my position, game by game, than as a top player,” he said.