“The most obvious thing is that the physical condition of last year and this year are different. This year, I prepared to play as a starting pitcher from the beginning of the season.”카지노사이트
Brandon Waddell, who joined the Doosan Bears for two consecutive years as a substitute foreign pitcher, is poised to write a U-turn success story. He is making a proper ‘real’ season in the KBO league with an average ERA of 0.90 and QS pitching in 3 consecutive games.
In the Pohang Samsung match on the 6th, Brandon completely blocked the Samsung lineup with 4 hits, 2 walks, 11 strikeouts and 1 run in 7 innings. It was Brandon who did not even have a special crisis, overwhelming the Samsung batting line almost throughout the game, except for one run with an infield hit during the batting class.
Last year, Brandon joined as a substitute for Ariel Miranda and played a significant role with an average ERA of 3.60 and 5 wins and 3 losses in 11 games. And he joined Dylan Pyle as a foreign pitcher this season as well, and is showing a better figure than last year.
He has established himself as the undisputed first starting ace by posting a reverse fight with an average ERA of 0.90 with 1 win and 1 loss in 3 games. He pitched 6 or more innings and gave up 2 earned or less in all 3 games he started this season. Two of the three games were QS+ reverses with 2 runs or less in 7 innings.
At this rate, the cost of 280,000 dollars (approximately 367 million won) paid for bringing in Brandon instead of Dylan feels like a bargain. Brandon’s value stands out even more when there are many pitchers who are sluggish or have already been replaced despite salaries approaching $1 million or more.
The following is a Q&A with Brandon, who has been reborn as a reliable foreign ace in just three games.How do you feel about your first win back in Korea?
Of course it feels good. The fact that I went out and worked hard and, in a way, created an opportunity for the team to win, in that sense I feel good.
I played well in the first two games, but there was no victory,
and there was nothing to regret. That’s what baseball is, of course. My job is to get on the mound and throw as many innings as possible without scoring. I am satisfied as long as I do my job.
Recorded 11 strikeouts, the most in the KBO League.
As I continued to create favorable situations in the ball count while catching strikes, it seems that the probability of striking out was high in such a situation. I didn’t care about the strikeout record, I kept throwing my ball and focusing on attacking the strike zone.
What was the game strategy?
Fastball tried to change the velocity. And being able to throw multiple breaking balls into the strike zone is also an ability. I did it because I thought that if I used my abilities well, a situation would come to my advantage. The strategy was to use off-speed pitches for fastballs, vary the velocity, and aggressively throw sliders and cutters into the strike zone.
I joined as a substitute player for two consecutive years. Is there any change this year?
I would like to say that the biggest difference between last year and this year is ‘my physical condition’. Last year, I was a bullpen pitcher, but after coming to Korea, I needed time to build up my body as a starting pitcher and adapt to the KBO league. This year, I made my body a starting pitcher from the off-season. Also, I had experience because I threw in the KBO league last year. That’s why this year, I’m just pitching with the thought of ‘let’s just throw my own ball’. That seems to be the biggest difference.
I remember having an interview with the last distinguished player last year saying, ‘I really want to accompany Doosan in 2023’. It’s late, but that wish came true, and I think the feeling will be special.
Of course, I’m very happy that I came back. I am very happy to have returned to Doosan. Now it’s simple. When I go to the mound, I think, ‘Let’s do our duty faithfully’ and ‘Let’s do what we have to do’.
Compared to last year’s Doosan, this year’s Doosan is aiming for a higher position. I am also curious about the determination for fall baseball.
I think I can say this because it is still halfway through the season. At this point, we cannot confirm whether we will advance to fall baseball, but our players really do it with the mindset of ‘we must win’ every game. If so, I think we will be able to play fall baseball as a result.