“If I do that, I’ll throw eight ⅓.”
Doosan Bears right-hander Kim Dong-ju (22) was criticized for throwing balls without using his lower body at all until last year. Since he only threw balls with upper body strength, he lost strength early, and became a different pitcher around the fourth inning. Doosan wants to raise Kim Dong-ju as a starting pitcher, but if he kept throwing balls with only his upper body, his long-term growth potential would decline.
Kim Dong-ju was also aware of the problem. However, it took some time for him to get his lower body corrected. Kim made ceaseless efforts to use his lower body this winter, and gradually began to show changes from the first spring camp in Sydney, Australia. When Kim first started pitching in the bullpen, Doosan officials welcomed the change, saying, “Now I’m starting to use my lower body.”
Kim Tae-ryong, Doosan’s general manager, smiled at Kim Dong-ju, who would have tried to use his lower body, saying, “If I throw like this, I will be responsible for eight ⅓ innings. Why don’t you just hand the ball over to the closing pitcher?”
Kim was not satisfied with the change immediately. “I’m not 100 percent physically fit yet, so I’m not sure. Still, as I throw while using my lower body, I feel like my arm is less strained. I feel that way,” Kim said calmly.
“Stamina has been my weakness since I graduated from Sunlin Internet High School and joined Doosan Bears as the 10th priority in the second round of 2021. The ball was good, but I lost my stamina to throw the ball. For the first two years or so, I started training my lower body so that I could use my lower body. Compared to when I was a rookie, Kim’s lower body has become much thicker than before. Based on my trained lower body, I am slowly growing in a good direction as I learn how to use my strength. 토토사이트
Kim Dong-ju is on the list of candidates for the starting lineup this year. Currently, only three spots including Raul Alcantara, Brandon Waddell and Kwak Bin have been confirmed for Doosan’s starting rotation. Left-hander Choi Seung-yong was considered as the fourth starter, but Choi needed time to recover from a fatigue fracture in his left elbow, making it difficult for him to join the opening lineup. With two empty spots, Kim Dong-ju, Choi Won-joon, Lee Young-ha, Park Shin-ji, Kim Yu-sung, Choi Jun-ho, and Kim Min-kyu are fiercely competing.
In order to gain an upper hand in the starting competition, he is striving to prove his ability to play in innings. “Even if I wanted to throw up to five innings, there were too many games in which I threw four ⅓ and four innings. If I join the starting rotation, I want to become a pitcher who throws at least five innings. I am constantly striving to increase my physical strength in throwing balls,” Kim said.
While watching Kim Dong-ju in Sydney, Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop said, “(Kim) Dong-ju has shown some potential last year, and he is one of our starters. Since five starters cannot play a year, they need players like him. He was good at the beginning of the season but was sluggish in the middle of the season, but he showed his potential as a starter. Seeing him play in the camp, he has been dealing with his weaknesses, the stamina that he has strong will to work hard. I have a feeling that he will be a good player, and I think he will be a good player.”
Kim focused on boosting his value as a starting pitcher by checking the curves that he is honing with new pitches in Sydney. “I threw some curves when pitching with a bullpen, and I’ve been practicing for three years, but it’s not working well. Coach Cho Woong-cheon told me not to pay too much attention to curves. He told me to practice curves when catching balls, and to think that since what I usually throw is fastballs, sliders and folk balls, I only show one curve at a time, without paying much attention to them.” (Kwak)bin taught me how to play curves. I did ask him, but what I feel matters most no matter how I ask the older members, but what I feel. Even if I follow him, he doesn’t show how he feels,” he said, hinting that he will continue to sharpen his curves while refining his existing pitches.
Kim Dong-ju pitched in 18 games (17 starts) and pitched 78 ⅓ innings last year. His ERA was high at 4.14, but he increased value by filling in gaps whenever there was a hole in his starting rotation. He has improved his performance by recording four quality starts. This year, he intends to be labeled as an alternative starting pitcher based on his successful experience last year.
Kim Dong-joo said, “I think we have grown a lot compared to the previous year just because we have continued to start last year,” vowing to become a starting pitcher who can take charge of longer innings and more stable than last year.