Dual sword style. In the past, it referred to a Japanese samurai who handled different weapons with both hands, but in modern times, it has come to refer to a person capable of handling both tasks at the same time.
Recently, the word dual wield is often used in the baseball world. With the appearance of Otani Shohei (29, Japan), who plays manga baseball. Ohtani fascinated baseball fans by working both as a pitcher and a hitter. He has established himself as an icon in the major leagues by throwing fastballs in the upper half of 150 km/h on the mound and striking long hits at bat.먹튀검증
Ohtani became the wannabe star of all players. If so, can the word dual wield be used in Korean baseball? It will be difficult right now, but there is a possibility that a player who can be grouped into the category of dual swords will appear in a few years. The main characters are Jang Jae-young (21) and Kim Geon-hee (19), who are two years apart from the professional baseball Kiwoom Heroes. The two, who are busy working as both pitcher and hitter in this year’s demonstration game, recently met together at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul.
Jang Jae-young and Kim Kun-hee’s names went up and down side by side since the end of last year. It was when news spread that he was preparing for a two-time job. First, Jaeyoung Jang. When he was at Deoksu High School, he threw a 150 km fast ball and drew attention. As time went on, his potential was highly evaluated, and he made a splendid debut by receiving the first name from Kiwoom. However, his professional mound was not easy. He had a hard time hunting for jegu. In the end, in November of last year, he made up his mind while serving as both pitcher and hitter in Geelong Korea (a club related to Geelong, an Australian city to which Korean players were dispatched) in the Australian Baseball League (ABL). It was a calculation that he would regain his confidence as a pitcher through the bat that stood out during his high school days. This is also what the Kiwoom club and coach Hong Won-ki suggested first.
Jang Jae-young said, “In Geelong Korea, the biggest thought was ‘I shouldn’t be stressed’. This mindset seems to have worked in a good direction. Also, while dealing with batters aggressively, he gradually realized the beauty of a quick game.” “In the US, the number of pitches continued to increase. He added that he worked hard to build the stamina to throw many innings with the goal of entering the 5th starter.”
Jang Jae-young is also playing as a pitcher and fielder (right fielder) in this demonstration game. However, his battering challenge is to the extent of judging future possibilities. He is highly likely to play the dual wielder this season only until the exhibition games.
Unlike this, Kim Geon-hee, who was a catcher, is seriously approaching Lee Do-ryu. He also has great ambitions to grow into a player like Ohtani in the future. It is not a big difficulty because it is a two-hitting job that I have already tried through coach Deok-yoon Kim’s consideration since my days at Wonju High School. Currently, the catcher’s mask is put down for a while, and he is focusing only on the pitcher and first baseman.
Kim Kun-hee said, “In the spring camp, training was different every day. It was the way he batted today if he practiced pitching yesterday. It was difficult, but the seniors took care of me, so the training ended quickly,” he said with a smile, “The coaches are really teaching me a lot. Maybe that’s why I feel like I’m creating my own path. Personally, I think it is a valuable experience for me.”
Jang Jae-young and Kim Gun-hee spent a hectic day from spring camp. This is because the pitcher team and the fielder team had to digest training together. So the existence of the two is often a great strength to each other. Kim Kun-hee said, “We are all busy. Still, (Jang) Jae-young takes care of me whenever his brother has a spare moment. If there is a problem, he picks it up right away,” he said with a smile. Jang Jae-young, who was listening to the story from the side, said, “(Kim) Geon-hee is a bright friend. Although he has a lot of worries on the inside, he doesn’t show off on the outside,” he said. “The potential as a pitcher looks great. His fastball power was amazing. Also, he was a catcher, so I think he understands the pitcher’s mind well.”
Then, what is the inside of the command tower looking at the two? Director Hong Won-ki said, “Jang Jae-young does not think the past two years have been a failure. However, as much as he lacks talent as a pitcher, I hope he spends a longer time on the mound.” Regarding Kim Gun-hee, “There is definitely a sense of throwing. However, it is not easy to work in the first group right away. He sees that he has to be patient and grow,” he explained.
At the end of the interview, I asked Jaeyoung Jang and Gunhee Kim about the existence of Ohtani. Jang Jae-young said, “Ohtani is a god. I wish I could do well at least once.” Kim Kun-hee said, “To be honest, Ohtani is a role model. I just want to be like Ohtani. But on the other hand, I also want to be Kim Gun-hee, painted in my own color.” The future of the other two was slightly glimpsed as if they resembled each other in the subtle difference in their answers.