"I thought I wouldn't be able to play baseball..." Elbow surgery No. 4, side-arm transformation worries, and 'Hanwha Duck' that didn't give up
"I thought I wouldn't be able to play baseball..." Elbow surgery No. 4, side-arm transformation worries, and 'Hanwha Duck' that didn't give up
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"I really want to throw it hard just once...”
Hanwha right-hander Kim Jong-soo (30) underwent surgery to remove bone fragments in his elbow in May last year. It was the fourth elbow surgery in his baseball career. In 2014, the second year after joining the team, Kim had a knife to his arm through ligament joint surgery, and he underwent two elbow surgeries in the summer of 2017 alone after finishing his military service. He underwent a second ligament joint surgery and bone fragment removal surgery.
Kim Jong-soo, who achieved his dream of making his first team debut in late 2018 after two long-term rehabilitation sessions, pitched as a bullpen pitcher for the first team for four years from 2019 to 2022. During his five seasons in the first team, he had a total of 193 games (177 ⅔ innings) with seven wins, six losses and two saves, 19 holds, and an earned run average of 5.12 strikeouts. He had his best season in 2022 with 45 strikeouts with three wins, four losses, one save, six holds, and an earned run average of 4.40 strikeouts. Though not noticeable, he added strength to the bullpen by banking on his heavy fastballs in the mid-140km range.
However, his elbow condition was not good from the end of the 2022 season, and he left the exhibition game before the 2023 season due to recurrence of elbow pain. Eventually, he went back to the operating table and continued his tedious rehabilitation. He underwent surgery and rehabilitation countless times, but it was not easy even if he fought against himself. It was a lighter bone fragment surgery than ligament joint surgery, but several brakes were applied during the rehabilitation process.
Kim Jong-soo said, "It wasn't an MCL, so I had to finish my rehabilitation within five to six months, but it took longer than expected. The brakes were often applied, and it took me a year and two months to throw the ball again. That time felt really long," and added, "There were a lot of hard times in the middle. I thought I wouldn't be able to play baseball. Whenever I had a hard time, Jaemin Kim training coach, Lee Dae-jin, coach Park Jung-jin, and senior Jung Woo-ram helped me a lot. In particular, it was helpful for coach Lee Dae-jin to tell me about his experience of going to the U.S. and having surgery alone. At first, I was full of negative thoughts, but thanks to your help, I got better."
As the pain was repeated and the rehabilitation process was prolonged, he was not sure whether he would be able to throw the ball again with strength. If it was frustrating, he gave up his right-hander overhand and thought about how to transform into a sidearm pitcher. "I wanted to throw it hard just once, and I wanted to throw it properly even for one game, so I tried to change it to the sideline," he said. "By the time I was thinking about that, the pain suddenly disappeared and I was able to throw the ball excitedly."
Kim Jong-soo, who announced his return to action by playing in Futures League games from mid-June, finished the season painlessly. He played consecutive games and multiple innings, recording four wins, two losses and one save, 10 holds, and an ERA of 3.69 strikeouts in 30 games (31 ⅔ innings). He also tied for first in Futures League holds, contributing to Hanwha's win in the Northern League. After the season's conclusion, he also participated in the Phoenix Education League held in Miyazaki, Japan, where he played eight ⅔ in seven games.
"I felt a bit strange when I returned to throw in June. I had a hard time throwing an inning at first due to the long hiatus, but I've gained physical strength and my sense of breaking ball has come back," Kim said. "This year, I think I was ready for next year. Now my focus is on next year. Our pitching staff has really strengthened, and I want to compete together."
Starting next year, Hanwha will open a new era at Baseball Dream Park (tentative name) in Daejeon, the new baseball stadium. The team will start anew by changing its BI and uniforms. Kim Jong-soo, who escaped from a long rehabilitation tunnel, will also wear his new uniform at the new stadium and seek to revive. 온라인카지노 "I'm looking forward to the new baseball stadium. They say it will be double-decker bullpen session, and I think it will be pretty," Kim said with a smile. "I think it will be emotional if I get to the first team and throw the ball again. I want to show my fans my face and let them know that I was alive."