“I’m happy to win day by day, but I think the big win of ‘winning the regular season’ is definitely more rewarding.”먹튀검증
Kwak Do-gyu (KIA), a left-handed bullpen in his second year, who first experienced a championship when he started playing baseball, played 120% of the team’s solid waist this year. Yang Hyun-jong, a “great pitcher,” is also one of the bullpen agents who thanked “our middle pitchers for throwing and protecting us in important and burdensome games” right after winning the regular season.
Kwak, who joined Kia as the 42nd player in the fifth round of the 2023 Rookie Draft, failed to stand out last year, but has become a must-winner this year. As of Tuesday, he played in 70 games, recording four wins, two losses, 16 holds, two saves and an ERA of 3.62.
“It’s my first time to win a championship in baseball,” Kwak told the Hankook Ilbo ahead of the game against Doosan Bears in Jamsil on Sunday. “It’s more meaningful to me than to watch from a distance,” Kwak said. “I feel proud that I helped. I feel that baseball is a team sport.”
It is said that Yang Hyeon-jong’s help was great in the background of his growth this season. Kwak Do-gyu explained, “There are many innings that I would not have won if it were not for this team this year, pitching that I would not have done without Yang Hyeon-jong.” “Even if they have the same ball power, there is a difference in experience. As for the advice you gave me, there was a choice of pitches according to the situation, and there was also an ordinary saying, “Throw it tough.” I think I was able to get mentally because of those words from (Yang) Hyun-jong in a crisis situation,” he added.
Kwak, who was weak against right-handed hitters in the first half of the season, now throws confidently regardless of whether he is a right-handed hitter or not. The source of confidence is the installation of breaking balls. “I learned how to change up at the Australian driveline that I went to during the offseason, and I’ve been throwing it since the beginning of the season,” he said. “Actually, I wasn’t used to it in the beginning, but as I kept throwing it with confidence, I started to work, and as I gained experience, I think I got know-how to catch right-handed hitters.”
After clinching the regular season title, he plans to pay more attention to basic skills during the remaining period until the Korean Series. “I think I will do as I have done. There will certainly be more urgent situations (in the Korean Series), so I will have more leeway only when I have set positions, PFP (pitcher fielding practice), and things like holding the runner with my head,” Kwak said. “I don’t have any physical problems right now,” he said, expressing his ambition to continue throwing until the end of the season.
When I was talking about Yang Soo-ho (Kongo High School) who was selected by KIA in the 2025 Rookie Draft, he looked like a respectable senior. “(Kim) Doo-hyun and I created the image that ‘the Tigers players from Gongo High School work hard.’ Unlike in high school, the moment we wore professional uniforms, we thought we should put more effort into them rather than trust their talents. “Suho has a lot of talent. He can do really well, so I hope he doesn’t lose confidence, and I hope he enjoys it and does his best.”
Having shown steady progress, Kwak has recently made the preliminary entry for the 2024 World Baseball Softball Association (WBSC) Premier 12. “I try not to think about it on purpose. Now I try to focus on my team called KIA,” Kwak said cautiously, but added, “I am so happy just to hear that. Being a member of the national team is a big dream of every baseball player, and it is the same for me, too. I will be very happy if I take this opportunity to join the national team.”