The LG Twins have won the Korean Series for the first time in 7,670 days since Nov. 8, 2002, when they beat the Samsung Lions 8-7 in Jamsil. The winning pitcher in the historic game was none other than the “unhittable lefty” Ham Deok-ju. After making a huge contribution to the Korean Series comeback, Ham Deok-ju is already attracting attention in the free agent market.
On November 8, Ham took the mound in the top of the eighth inning of Game 2 of the Korean Series against KT WIZ at Jamsil Stadium and pitched a one-hit, two-strikeout perfect game.
On that day, LG was down by four runs in the first inning. However, LG began to chip away at the deficit, and in the bottom of the seventh inning, Kim Hyun-soo hit a timely two-run double to pull within one run at 3-4.
Ham Deok-ju pitched a perfect eighth inning to set the tone. Park Dong-won’s dramatic two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning put the game out of reach and gave LG its first Korean Series win in 7,670 days. 아톰카지노 주소
With the Game 2 victory, Ham Deok-ju became the first LG pitcher to win the Korean Series in 21 years since Lee Dong-hyun in 2002. In Game 1, Ham took the mound in the top of the eighth inning and pitched a scoreless inning to complete his first Korean Series appearance in three years. Despite the three-month hiatus, Ham proved that there was nothing wrong with his elbow.
Speaking before Game 2, Ham said, “LG fans filled Jamsil Stadium, which gave me a lot of strength and moved me. It’s unfortunate that we lost the first game, but as a result, the players will become stronger and more united. I believe there will be a different result in the second game. In 2015, when I was with Doosan, we also won the title after losing the first game and then winning four in a row. There are plenty of examples of teams winning after losing the first game. I think it’s more a matter of practice than a lack of power. The flow of a series can change at any time,” he said encouragingly.
True to Ham Deok-ju’s words, LG turned the tide in Game 2 with persistence and incredible focus. True to his word, the atmosphere was set for a four-game sweep after the first loss.
Regardless of the Korean Series situation, Ham Deok-ju’s price tag is skyrocketing this winter. Ham will be eligible for free agency for the first time in his career after this season. Because he is a Class C player, he can be transferred without a compensatory player. In addition to being one of the best left-handed pitchers in the league, he is also relatively young, having been born in 1995. Of course, there are concerns about his durability, but the pitcher is expected to receive bids from multiple clubs in a “multiple-trade” atmosphere.
A baseball insider said, “I heard that not only the original team LG, but also A teams in the metropolitan area and B teams in the provinces will show great interest in Ham Deok-ju. Since he is a C-grade player, there are no compensation players, so there may be clubs other than the first three that will bid for him. There are concerns about his durability, but even if he only lasts around 50 games a season, he would be a great addition to a team’s bullpen. Teams in urgent need of left-handed reinforcements will consider a variety of contract offers.”
It will be interesting to see if Ham Deok-ju can get an even bigger gift in free agency after helping the team win its first Korean Series in 29 years.
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