Inevitable farewells, but shocking for the recipients.
The Kia Tigers announced on June 6 that they have replaced both of their foreign pitchers. Newcomer Mario Sanchez will be joined by Thomas Pannoni, who played with the team last year. Adonis Medina had already packed his bags after receiving his release notice on the 4th. However, Shawn Anderson was traveling with the squad.
Anderson was completely unaware of his replacement. He traveled with the team to Incheon and watched from the bench until the fifth game. He even chatted with catcher Kim Tae-gun, who joined the team in a trade that day, and was happy for the team’s big win.
But the next day, Anderson’s release was confirmed. Anderson was notified of his release during the day on the sixth and final day of the Incheon trip. He was reportedly shocked by the unexpected news. In fact, it was not a pleasant farewell for the Kia team. He was known for his hard work and good work ethic. He got along well with the Kia players and seemed eager to adapt to the Korean culture. “He was a really good player in terms of character,” the club said.
However, after much deliberation, the club had to say goodbye. Anderson’s game management skills and ability to compete with KBO hitters were not good enough to be considered competitive. “His pitches were a bit monotonous, and he didn’t seem to have the ability to go six or seven innings. I judged that his performance was not good enough for a foreign pitcher.”
In fact, Anderson’s season wasn’t a complete failure, with a 4-7 record and a 3.76 ERA in 14 games. He had eight quality starts in those 14 games. His last three starts have been back-to-back quality starts. But I couldn’t help but look beyond the numbers. His 1-2 record after a quality start was a sign that he wasn’t able to hold onto a game lead.메이저사이트
However, Anderson was more shocked by his release because he had been performing well in his recent outings. Anderson, who is still single, had just arrived in South Korea in early July with his waiting girlfriend. Anderson’s girlfriend had watched him pitch from her bedroom the previous two days. Just as they were starting to build a life together in Korea, he was cut from the team and had to pack his bags again.
Of course, Anderson is well aware that the professional world is cold. He got over his shock and said goodbye to the KIA squad. “I was with the team from the beginning of spring training, and I’m very disappointed that I didn’t make it to the end. I will cheer for the Tigers to do well until the end,” he said.