“I will continue to throw vigorously from the mound without getting sick.”
KT Wiz’s right-handed bullpen pitcher Ju Kwon, who returned from injury, expressed his determination.
Ju Kwon,메이저놀이터 who debuted as a pro in a KT uniform in 2015, is a right-handed pitcher with a 5.14 ERA with 32 wins, 36 losses, 4 saves and 105 holds in 396 games (573 innings) until last year. He settled in the winning group in earnest, and he raised double-digit holds every year from the 2019 season to the 2022 season, especially in 2020, harvested 31 holds and won the hold king.
KT Wiz’s key bullpen agent Ju Kwon returned to the first team ahead of the game against LG in Jamsil on the 16th. Photo = Reporter Kim Young-gu
Last year, he participated in 58 games and was responsible for KT’s waist with an average ERA of 3.91 with 3 wins, 3 losses, 1 save, and 15 holds.
However, an unexpected injury later caught the sovereign’s ankle. He was not included in the opening roster due to a forearm injury. He devoted himself to treatment and rehabilitation, and was finally called up to the first team ahead of the game against LG Twins in Jamsil (12-7 KT win) on the 16th. What is the current physical condition of sovereignty?
Meeting with reporters before the game on the 16th, he said, “It has been about two or three weeks that I have not been sick. As for velocity, since I am not a pitcher with a fast ball, the average speed is slightly over 140km. I think the pitch feels the same when I threw it (and when it was good). It seems to be similar.” It doesn’t hurt. It shouldn’t hurt. It will be fine,” he explained.
At the same time, sovereignty said, “(This is) the first time I went down (to the Futures League) because I was sick. I went down because I couldn’t play baseball, but it’s the first time I went down because I was sick.” I was sad because I couldn’t do it because I was sick. If I came down because I couldn’t do it, I would admit it and work harder to go up, but I felt depressed and regretful because I went down because I was sick.”
Since this was the first injury he had suffered, there must have been fear of a recurrence. He said, “Since I was sick for the first time, there was (such fear) in the beginning. In the beginning, there were many,” he said. “When I asked around, they all had such thoughts. (By the way) I thought that if I thought about it like that, I would get sick again. I thought I would bear with it even if it hurts just a little bit. It didn’t hurt, so I didn’t think of that.”
Ju Kwon’s return to the first team was helped by futures league rehabilitation trainers and coaches. He said, “The rehabilitation trainers (in the Futures League) helped me. The coaches also told me not to be burdened and to make it a little more certain (body) and do it slowly. He told me not to get sick again, so I had to make my body as good as possible and go up slowly. (Thanks) I ate well and rested well.”
KT won the victory over LG at the end of the game, but it is still at the bottom with 10 wins, 2 draws and 22 losses.
Ju Kwon said, “It was regrettable that I couldn’t open with (the team). He watched the game every day. He kept asking and he was told the team atmosphere was not good. Now that I’m here, I’ll try to change it as much as possible,” he said. He said he was ready for any situation. The director laughed and passed it over.”
Finally, he said, “(KT) has been at the top for the past four years. He’s on his way to 10th, but he still has a lot of races left and I think it’s early in the season. If I win one win more slowly in the future, I think I will be at the top someday,” he said. “I have to throw harder. It’s late to join, but the team comes first. The team should do well. I hope I do well, so I think my individual grades will follow. I will continue to throw courageously from the mound without getting sick.”