“There’s a reason why I came all the way to Korea.”
The most important part for the LG Twins to win the Korean Series for two consecutive years is the starting pitcher. Foreign players are especially important. LG faced a major crisis as Adam Plutko, who served as the ace player by winning 11 games in the first half of last year alone, was sidelined due to injury in the second half and failed to play in the Korean Series. Nevertheless, LG won the title in 29 years by banking on its powerful bullpen.
As Ko Woo-suk, who finished this year, is missing, the bullpen needs to be sorted out early in the season. That’s why the starter is important, and especially an ace is needed to lead the team.
LG gave Casey Kelly, a foreign pitcher who had led the team, a second starter, and hired Detrick Ness, a 33-year-old lefty, as its first starter. Ness joined the pro league after being drafted by the New York Yankees in the 19th round in the 2012 draft, and joined the big league after being traded to the Minnesota Twins in 2017. Since then, he has moved to the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, and Tampa Bay Rays in search of opportunities. He pitched in the big league again as a bullpen pitcher for Tampa Bay in the 2021 season, and pitched in nine games.
In 2022, Ness moved to Japan and pitched 122 ⅓ in 23 games as a starting pitcher, recording 10-7 with an ERA of 2.94. It was the third time in Japanese pro baseball that a foreign left-handed pitcher had 10 wins in his debut season, and the first foreign left-handed pitcher in 69 years. However, he had the worst season last year with one win, 10 losses and an ERA of 5.17, in 12 games.
When LG recruited N.S., the team said, “He is a pitcher who stands out for durability and steadiness, and has excellent fastball pitching and breaking ball command. Based on his experience in the Japanese pro baseball, I expect him to adapt quickly and play the first starting role for the team in the 2024 season.” He is known to have excellent fastball pitching. He shoots up to mid-150 kilometers.
LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop, however, said that N.S. also needs to adapt to the KBO League. “If N.S. came all the way to Korea with such good pitching, it would be because he didn’t succeed,” manager Yeom said on his way to Arizona, the U.S., the spring camp site, on the 26th. “We discussed N.S.’s shortcomings at the coaching staff seminar.”
“But if we continue to throw it in that state, there is a high possibility that we will fail in the KBO League,” manager Yeom said. “The result of our coaching staff’s meeting was that there was no clear decision.”
It can be said that the success of Enth depends on how he plays the decisive ball. “As Enth is throwing changeups, we need to increase the value of the changeups or the value of the folk balls,” manager Yeom said. “I think the key point is whether Enth adapts to the KBO league or takes the position as the first starting pitcher for LG.” 꽁머니지급
He cannot simply give instructions to N.S. upon arrival. “Chief coach Kim Jung-joon and pitching coach will meet with N.S. for a meeting. We will fully explain what we have in mind so that N.S. can understand and follow suit,” Yeom said.