Hwang Jae-gyun (KT Wiz), who was sent off in protest of the ABS (Automatic Ball-Strike System) decision against the SSG Landers in Incheon on the 26th, strongly appealed to the ABS system ahead of the SSG match on the 28th.안전놀이터
In the fourth inning of the batter’s box on Wednesday, Hwang threw his helmet off when his fastball that came in at the lower end of the fourth pitch was ruled strikeout. Notably, the fourth pitch was a ball that the catcher missed and fell backward, but ABS ruled that he struck out a strikeout. Hwang, who expressed his discontent by taking radical actions, was sent off as the first player due to ABS protest.
“It was definitely my fault that I threw the helmet away,” Hwang Jae-gyun told reporters on Friday. “I protested the last ball because I couldn’t understand. I rarely protest against ball judgment. However, I was sent off this time, which I have never experienced since I made my professional debut.”
On the 26th, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Hanwha Eagles filed a complaint with the ABS. The opinion was that the strike zone was different between the game where Moon Dong-ju took the mound on the 23rd and the game he threw (against Suwon KT) on the 24th. Then, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) unusually released ABS data on the same day, directly contradicting Ryu Hyun-jin’s claim.
However, players’ complaints have not abated. “The strike zones were different,” Hwang Jae-gyun, who faced off against both Ryu and Moon at the time, said, adding weight to Ryu’s argument. “The ball thrown by Moon was a ball, and the ball thrown by Ryu in the same course was a strike,” Hwang said. “If only the square (strike zone) ticket proves it, KBO is right. However, if the zone itself moves, the story will be different.”
“(KBO) seems to have pushed ahead with the ABS hastily without sufficient consultation with the players. It was said that the accuracy had been increased based on data for four years in the second group, but back then, the ABS only looked at the middle side (of the home plate) to measure it. This year, the ABS added a new end. Then, the data that was implemented on a trial basis for four years in the second group is meaningless,” Hwang said.
“Some stadiums in the second tier do not have ABS machines. Some players in the first tier measured their height (as required for ABS measurement). This is a bigger problem considering young players (playing in the second tier). We need to supplement it.”
The ABS was introduced as part of the KBO’s international competitiveness enhancement. However, the team says it cannot agree on this either. KT manager Lee Kang-chul and Hwang Jae-gyun said, “The KBO makes a strike (a ball that runs the ABS) with the ball that will serve as a ball in international competitions (which is judged by referees). I doubt this will help increase the team’s competitiveness.”
“Players should follow the changes that fans want,” Hwang Jae-gyun said. “If it is a system that affects players’ performance, I hope the KBO will fully consult with the players before preparing and implementing the system.” Manager Lee Kang-cheol also said, “ABS is fair but has not received sympathy from the field. It remains regrettable what it would have been like if the system had been supplemented after the pilot operation.”