The head coach expected 10 wins. However, he failed to secure even a single win by showing below-expectations performance.먹튀검증
This is Robert Duggar’s story. “As a substitute for Duggar, I hired Drew Anderson, a former Detroit Tigers foreign pitcher, for an annual salary of 570,000 dollars,” SSG Landers said on Monday.
The SSG recruited Duggar ahead of this season. Having played for the Round Rock Express, a Triple-A team under the Texas Rangers, Duggar recorded an ERA of 4.31 with 143 strikeouts and 63 walks in 29 games and 146 ⅓ innings. The Triple-A Pacific Coast League (PCL) is known for its extreme batting average and pitching arsenals. The league has the highest ERA and strikeouts.
The KBO League introduced ABS (automatic ball determination system) in this season. When the system was introduced, the team thought that pitchers who use breaking balls with good vertical movement would have an advantage. Duggar gained high expectations for his performance by banking on curves and changeups. During the spring camp, he also threw fast four-seam fastballs of 150 km/h and curves to steal the timing of hitters, and SSG manager Lee Soo-yong saw him as a pitcher capable of garnering more than 10 wins.
Duggar’s performance during the regular season was not as expected. Making his debut at a home game against the Hanwha Eagles on June 26, Duggar allowed four hits, three walks, two strikeouts and four runs in five innings. He then achieved a quality start (QS, six innings or more and three earned runs) by allowing five hits (one homer) and five strikeouts and three runs in six innings against the Daegu Samsung Lions on Saturday. He performed fairly well in the first two games.
However, Duggar collapsed in the game against the NC Dinos in Changwon on the 6th. He allowed 12 hits and seven walks in three innings, striking out 14 with 13 earned runs, leaving his name as the most earned runs in a single game in the KBO League history. He earned the disgraceful record with Kim Yu-bong (Doosan Bears) against Samsung in Daegu on August 7, 1999 and Petrick (Samsung) against the KIA Tigers in Gwangju on June 29, 2017.
Duggar, who came to the mound in the match against the Suwon KT Wiz on the 12th, failed to show improvement with four hits (one homer) and two strikeouts and four runs in one inning.
Duggar had three hits, one walk, three strikeouts and one run in five innings in a showdown with the Kia Tigers in Incheon on Tuesday local time. Although Duggar failed to become a winning pitcher, Duggar displayed a pitch that dreamed of rebounding. “KIA hitters generally had a lot of aggressive batters, so I planned to count the number from the first pitch to the breaking ball and enter,” Duggar said at the time. “I did it as I did, resulting in a good result.”
“The 14 runs (against NC) was probably the worst pitch of my career. Baseball is a sport of failure. I just tried to overcome it with that mindset. I was mentally exhausted at the time, but whenever that happened, I mentally recovered, thinking about which pitcher I was and why SSG brought me,” he continued. “I think I got better after today’s game.”
However, Duggar once again collapsed against the Lotte Giants in Busan. He allowed nine hits, two strikeouts and seven runs in two ⅔ innings with no outs. The next day, Lee said he would “think about Duggar” and ended up parting ways with SSG.
Duggar is the first foreign player to be kicked out this season, with three losses in six games and 22 ⅔ innings, with 18 strikeouts and 33 runs (32 earned runs) and an ERA of 12.71 WHIP (per innings allowed) of 2.07.
Anderson, who will fill Duggar’s place, said, “I would like to thank the SSG club for giving me the opportunity to challenge a new stage once again,” adding, “I will join during the season, but I will adapt to the league and the team as soon as possible and bring a lot of wins so that the team can win.”