LG and Doosan, which use Jamsil Stadium as their home, are famous for not trading well with each other due to strong rivalry between LG and Doosan. The two teams traded just before the start of the 2021 season. Doosan, which had a great thirst for a right-handed hitter, received first baseman Yang Seok-hwan and promising left-hander Nam-ho from LG, and LG brought right-hander Chae Ji-seon to left-handed pitcher Ham Deok-joo (pictured). It was the first trade between LG and Doosan in 13 years since the trade between Lee Seong-yeol and Choi Seung-hwan ↔ Lee Jae-young and Kim Yong in June 2008.온라인바카라
At the time, it was evaluated as a ‘win-win trade’, but when the lid was opened, the winners and losers were sharply divided. Ham Deok-joo, whose pitch fell significantly due to overwork at Doosan, underwent surgery on a bone in his elbow, and was out for the season after appearing in only 16 games. On the other hand, Yang Seok-hwan, who only had a batting average of 0.246 with 3 homers and 13 RBIs in the 2020 season at LG, spent a career high season with a batting average of 0.273, 28 homers and 96 RBIs as soon as he changed into a Doosan uniform. It was a business that left Doosan behind.
The 2022 season was similar. Ham Deok-joo, who could not shake off the aftermath of the injury, played only 12.2 innings without a win or a hold in 13 games. Yang Seok-hwan’s performance fell slightly with a batting average of 0.244, 20 home runs and 51 RBIs, but he did his part by surpassing 20 home runs.
This season, the third year of the trade, the trade between the two teams is being reevaluated. This is because Ham Deok-joo, who has fully recovered from his injury, has been reborn as the strongest bullpen pitcher, boasting a pitch that exceeds that of his heyday when he was active as a finisher for Doosan in the past. As of the 3rd, Deok-ju Ham has pitched 39 innings in 39 games this season, recording 3 wins, 3 saves and 12 holds. His earned run average is a whopping 1.15. His on-base percentage (WHIP) per inning is only 0.77. The trade two years ago became a ‘win-win trade’ only this year.
The secret is recovery of fastball restraint. As the fastball hit the mid-140 km/h speed range, the power of Ham Deok-joo’s main weapon, the changeup, increased even more. Normally, left-handed pitchers are weak against right-handed hitters, but Ham Deok-joo, whose changeup that flows outward to right-handed hitters is excellent, has a batting average of 0.061, less than 10%. Thanks to this, Ham Deok-joo can pitch regardless of the type of opponent and delete innings.
LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop also found it easier to operate the mound thanks to the presence of Ham Deok-joo. LG, which is weak in the 4th and 5th starters, recently turned Lee Jeong-yong, a bullpen agent, into the starter. After finishing this season, Ham Deok-joo will acquire the qualification of a free agent (FA) for the first time in his life. Since his annual salary is only 100 million won, the team that recruits Ham Deok-joo, whose compensation grade is C, does not have to hand out a compensation player. Because of this, the value of Ham Deok-ju is expected to rise further.