The teams that survive the roughly six-month regular season have one thing in common: they minimize the variables. Every team faces injuries and slumps, but the team that overcomes them is usually the one that gets the last laugh. This has been the case for the LG Twins, who are leading the regular season.
LG manager Yoon Kyung-yeop has emphasized injury vigilance since the beginning of the season. At the end of last month, he said, “We’re doing well so far, but injuries from August, which can be called the deciding factor, can be fatal for each team. It’s not just us, it’s all 10 clubs,” he emphasized.
Perhaps that’s why, with the ‘big game’ on the horizon, the manager is more sensitive to the fitness and condition of his players. Adam Plutko, who posted double-digit wins for the second straight year, was no exception.
Plutko was scheduled to start the 10th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on April 30, but he was unable to pitch due to a cold. That left Choi Won-tae, who was traded from the Kiwoom Heroes on the 29th, to take over the starting role before he had a chance to integrate into his new team.
The result was ‘success’. On the day, Choi pitched six innings of two-hit ball, striking out five and walking none to lead his team to a 10-0 victory and his seventh win of the season. There are cautious predictions that he could reach double-digit wins for the first time in four years in 2019, as well as surpass 2018 (13) and set a new single-season record for wins.
Head coach Yeom Kyung-yup, who breathed a sigh of relief at Choi Won-tae’s arrival, expressed strong dissatisfaction with Plutko’s inability to fulfill his role.
“Now, if you catch a cold, I’m going to fine you heavily,” he said before the match against Doosan on the 30th. “If Choi Won-tae didn’t come, it would be one person who could cause the team to have a crisis, and that could cause the team to go down a notch in the rankings or even ruin the season,” he said.
“Baseball is a game where one small thing can ruin a season. I’ve seen it countless times, and at this point, if Choi Won-tae doesn’t come, who should go up? If he doesn’t come up from the second team, he’ll have to come up from the second team,” he said, adding, “If you’re struggling there and you’re losing and you’re losing and you’re losing and you’re losing, it has a huge impact on your body.” It was a different tone than the day before when Plutko was discussing rotation adjustments.
Yoon knows that this is the most important time of the year, as he’s tasted the bitterness of late-season or short-season losses. Plutko also has a history of ruining fall baseball after a stellar regular season last year. He was sidelined for nearly a month at the end of the season with back spasms as he prepared for the postseason, throwing only bullpen and live pitches.
In the end, it showed in my performance. Starting Game 2 of the playoffs against the Kiwoom Heroes, Plutko did not live up to expectations as he struggled mightily, giving up six runs (four earned) on eight hits and one walk in 1⅔ innings. After winning Game 1 and losing Game 2, LG dropped Games 3 and 4, which ended their hopes of advancing to the Korean Series. In terms of the series as a whole, Plutko’s struggles were the difference between the two teams.
Still, after the season, LG showed faith in Plutko by re-signing him to a new contract in recognition of his contributions. To avoid a repeat this year, the team will need to prepare thoroughly from now on.
Plutko wasn’t the only one with a warning message. “It’s not just a professional athlete’s responsibility to play baseball well. “You may think it’s just a cold, but it could be a crisis for the team,” he said, “and we sent a strong message to the training staff, coaches, and players.안전놀이터
It’s not the first time a team has gone down on its knees in the postseason after a strong regular season. LG, which hasn’t reached the Korean Series since 2002, is more desperate than any other team. It will be interesting to see if the players can fulfill their manager’s wishes by taking care of off-field issues.