‘6988 days 33,366 pitches’ indomitable 130 wins… What would I have done if I had retired

On the 6988th, it accomplished the great task that required 33,366 units. Jang Won-jun (38, Doosan Bears) has finally reached the height of 130 wins in his personal career.

On the 23rd, Jang Won-joon started the match against the Samsung Lions of the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ held at Jamsil Baseball Stadium and achieved 130 wins by recording 70 hits, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts and 4 runs in 5 innings. The Doosan batting line gave Jang Won-joon his 130th win of the season with a 7-5 come-from-behind victory with 14 hits.

Jang Won-jun, who joined the Lotte Giants in 2004 as the first charge, debuted before the Samsung Lions on April 4 of that year and began his professional career. On the day that 6988 days have passed since that day, I met Samsung again and won my 130th victory. It was a result achieved by silently throwing 33,366 pitches, befitting the nickname ‘Jang Ku-jun’.

His 130 win streak is 11th all-time in the KBO and 4th all-time by a lefty. At 37 years, 9 months and 22 days old, he is also the oldest pitcher with 130 wins for a lefty. His previous record was 34 years, 4 months and 18 days at the time of July 4, 2000 against Cheongju Haitai Tigers as Hanwha Song Jin-woo. In terms of right-handers, he is second only to KIA Lim Chang-yong (September 29, 2018, Gwangju Hanwha match, 42 years, 3 months, 25 days).

It was more valuable because it was a result achieved after enduring numerous retirement crises. Jang Won-joon was a pitcher without a win for 1844 days after winning 129 personal career wins against the LG Twins in Jamsil on May 5, 2018. The point at which victory ended was also the point at which Jang Won-joon’s slump began. The fastball, which fell to the second half of 130 km per hour, hardly came back, and in the end, after being judged to be unable to make a start, he went to the bullpen from 2021.

As the slump lengthened, his ransom also plummeted. Ahead of the 2015 season, he was the best left-handed ace in the league who signed a free agency contract with Doosan for 4 years and 8.4 billion won, a very large amount at the time, but this year he receives an annual salary of 50 million won. This year, 2022, was also a retirement crisis every year, and each time it happened, Jang Won-joon showed a strong will to take off the uniform without any regrets by getting one more chance from the club and the command tower. Jang Won-jun struggled so hard to get a starting pitching opportunity 958 days after the Incheon SSG Landers match on October 7, 2020.

It was a game that proved that it was not a meaningless extension of a player’s life. Jang Won-joon tried to change by equipping a two-seam fastball, which he had not used in his heyday. On this day, he fought against the Samsung batters by throwing mostly two-seam fastballs (31) with a maximum speed of 140 km and an average speed of 139 km and sliders (24) in the early 130 km range. He also mixed up a changeup (10), a fastball (4), and a curveball (1) in just the right places. The highest speed of the fastball came up to 141 km.

The start was good. At the beginning of the first inning, Kim Ji-chan, Kim Hyun-joon, and Koo Ja-wook neatly blocked the top lineup with a three-way offense. Things seemed to be going smoothly for the Doosan lineup as they took a 1-0 lead with Jose Rojas’ sacrifice fly to center fielder at the bottom of the first inning with one out and bases loaded.

However, the dream of a comeback seemed to be shattered as they gave up 4 runs in the beginning of the second inning. As he gave up consecutive hits to Jose Pirella and Kang Min-ho, he was put in danger on the 1st and 3rd base. Kang Han-ul then got a bunt hit next to the first baseman, and first baseman Yang Seok-hwan made a mistake in throwing to the first base, and third base runner Pirella scored to make it 1-1.

Jang Won-joon’s ball continued to hit. In the 1st and 1st and 3rd bases, Kim Tae-gun lost an infield hit in front of the shortstop and turned it over to 1-2.

Jang Won-jun did not back down easily. As predicted, manager Lee chose not to replace Jang Won-joon, although he allowed 4 runs, and to lead the team further. Because it was a Tuesday game, the bullpen had to be overloaded. Jang Won-joon allowed another hit to Pirella in the top of the 3rd inning, but he did not lose the follow-up hit and endured with no runs.

Then the ship exploded. They scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning and quickly turned the game around to 6-4. After one run, Yang Eui-ji and Yang Seok-hwan had a chance to get 1 out and 1st and 2nd base with consecutive hits, Lohas hit a double at the right time with 2 RBIs on the left, and Jae-hwan Kim hit a double at the right time with 1 RBI in the right field to balance the game 4-4. In the continued second-out opportunity, Song Seung-hwan turned the game around with an RBI and a timely double from the left, and Lee Yu-chan also hit a timely hit with an RBI from the left, widening the distance by 2 points.

Jang Won-joon, who met the requirements for a winning pitcher, persevered on the mound. From the moment lead batter Oh Jae-il was allowed a hit in the left middle in the top of the 4th inning, Kim Myung-shin began to warm up in the Doosan bullpen, but he immediately turned Kim Tae-gun into a shortstop double hit and did not give Kim Myung-shin a chance to pitch. In the beginning of the 5th inning, Kim Ji-chan, Kim Hyeon-joon, and Koo Ja-wook were once again turned into a tripartite, and 5 innings were completed.

It has been 1798 days since Jang Won-joon filled 5 innings on June 20, 2018, after 5 innings and 6 runs against Jamsil Nexen Heroes (now Kiwoom).먹튀검증

The Doosan bullpen allowed Kang Min-ho to score 1 RBI in the top of the 7th inning and allowed 1 run, but Park Chi-guk (1 inning) – Lee Byung-hun (1 run in 1/3 inning) – Kim Myung-shin (2/3 inning) – Jung Cheol-won (1 inning) – Hong Geon-hee (1 inning) followed by a throw to secure the victory.

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