“San Octopus Joha~”
On the 8th (hereafter Korean time), KIA’s spring camp is the bullpen at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, USA. KIA foreign pitchers Sean Anderson and Adonis Medina pitched in the second bullpen side by side. In particular, Anderson, who filled the $1 million limit for new foreign players, was impressive.
Jang Jeong-seok, general manager, kept a close eye on Anderson, saying he was fine. Anderson threw 36 pitches that day. He mixed four-seam, two-seam, slider, changeup, and curveball. His 193cm tall height made use of his downhill pitching, which was refreshing. It is evaluated that the power of the slider was particularly good in the United States. His handsome face also attracted a lot of attention.
Anderson said, “I thoroughly prepared메이저사이트 according to the off-season training routine. He did weight training, flexibility exercises with a trainer he had been with for 14 years called ‘Bio Cole’. I also heard about Korean baseball from Dane Dunning, who plays for the Texas Rangers. He is most confident in throwing strikes.”
Anderson, along with Medina and Yang Hyeon-jong, is a KIA 1-3 selection this season. It is important to digest long innings stably. Manager Kim Jong-guk said, “I hope the two foreign pitchers throw only 160 innings throughout the year.” Anderson said, “I want to throw as many balls as possible every time I go to the mound.”
There is another reason KIA is counting on Anderson. It is that they are quick to adapt to Korean culture. When he visited Korea for a medical test, he had already encountered Korean food successfully and was learning Korean words every day from domestic players.
Anderson said in front of the reporters, “Hello~, thank you~, yes~, hello~, Gajwa~, Joa~, I’m glad~”. He was quite accurate for a foreigner’s pronunciation. Then he said, “I ate kimchi. When he came to Korea for a medical test, he ate wild octopus. Wild octopus Joha~. He likes to try new foods. He also ate kimchi stew.”
Basically, foreign players should speak with their skills. Transforming his own baseball into an overwhelming performance eliminates the need for the so-called KBO League adaptation. However, in the end, long-running foreign players had good understanding and adaptability to the KBO league. Eating Korean food well and knowing the Korean language is an additional part, but it is nice because it is based on understanding and respect for the KBO league. Anderson became a Korean within a week of joining KIA.