Two years ago, the reply became a “God’s move.” Desperately, he responded to a veteran pitcher who called the 9th team’s general manager directly, and the veteran pitcher became the main player in the regular season. LG’s general manager Cha Myung-seok applauded right-handed pitcher Kim Jin-sung, who spent his career high season at the age of 38 this season.
Cha looked back from the moment he received Kim Jin-sung’s phone call two years ago on the 18th, a day before the training camp for the Icheon Korean Series (KS). “Honestly, I don’t know why I said, ‘You’re Kim Jin-sung, what kind of test is it?’ I just said it without realizing it, but I didn’t expect it to be known like this,” he smiled. 스포츠토토
LG did not plan to recruit Kim Jin-sung from the beginning in the winter of 2021. However, veteran middle pitcher Song Eun-beom had undergone cruciate ligament rupture surgery, and it was reported that the time it took to rehabilitate and return would be longer than expected. Cha, who was struggling with Song Eun-beom’s vacancy, responded to Kim Jin-sung’s desperate need to make a direct call.
Cha’s choice was right. Kim Jin-sung played 67 games and 58 innings in LG’s uniform for the first time in the 2022 season. He still played as a member of the must-win group with 6 wins, 3 losses and 12 hold average 3.10 WHIP 1.14. Kim Jin-sung became an FA after the 2022 season when he moved to LG, and signed a two-year, 700 million won contract with LG in December 2022.
And this year, the first year of the FA contract, he performed brilliantly. He started as a long relief or chasing group at the beginning of the season, and played as a winning group in the middle of the season and a finishing pitcher in the second half of the season. He played in 80 games in a season, the largest number of right-handed pitchers in history, and played 70.1 innings, 5 wins, 1 loss, 4 saves, and 21 holds. As revealed in the record, he played in all directions as an intermediate pitcher. As well as creating a personal career high season with WHIP 0.95, he was re-listed as the league’s top middle pitcher.
It is more valuable because it plays at the end of the most important season. Kim Jin-sung pitched in both KT and doubleheader games at Jamsil Stadium on Sept. 27 and posted two holds. In the eighth inning, he kept the lead without losing a point, and LG won both games with KT. In the match against KT in Suwon on the 2nd, he pitched with the bases loaded in the 8th inning and made a save in 2 innings while keeping the lead.
“It was the moment when the Suwon game save quickly confirmed our regular season victory,” Cha said. “Kim Jin-sung is a very good player in condition.” I think many people will be surprised to see them play at an old age, but they are that sincere. “I am always the first to come to Jamsil Stadium as well as to the accommodation fitness center used during away games,” he said, explaining the secret of Kim Jin-sung’s performance.
In addition, “When I signed an FA contract, there were many stories that I caught it well at the right amount. However, he did not hide his happy smile, saying, “I think this year’s performance alone gave me all the value of my two-year contract,” adding, “Kim Jin-sung said he could throw up to 45.”
Two years ago in the winter, Kim Jin-sung bowed to General Manager Cha and the LG club for accepting his conviction and desperation. Now, General Manager Cha and the LG team bow to Kim Jin-sung to express their awe. From the 19th, Kim Jin-sung will participate in KS training with his colleagues at Icheon Champions Park.
