LG Jang Hyun-sik's hot winter, "I have to do well in baseball."
LG Jang Hyun-sik's hot winter, "I have to do well in baseball."
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LG Twins right-handed pitcher Jang Hyun-sik (29) is having an unfamiliar and busy winter.안전놀이터
Jang has been practicing individual training at Jamsil Baseball Stadium, LG's home stadium, since Sept. 9. What attracts attention is the time it takes to commute. He has been traveling to and from the ballpark for more than four hours.
Living in Sejong City with his wife, he departs from his home at 9 a.m. He arrives at Jamsil Stadium by express bus and subway, trains for four hours from noon, and goes through his schedule until 7 p.m. when he gets home again.
People around him are surprised by his unusual commuting distance, saying, "I'm passionate," but Jang Hyun-sik said in an interview with Newsis on the 18th, "I'm trying to adjust quickly and train."
Before leaving the spring camp, he will find a house in Seoul sometime next month, but he will continue to train between Sejong and Jamsil until then. No matter how familiar a baseball player is to go on an away trip, commuting more than four hours every day is not easy.
Jang Hyun-sik said, "I can't drive because it's too hard. I'm taking a bus and it's okay because I'm doing it (from Sejong City)."
Such a busy winter contains a determined will to start anew.
Jang changed his uniform after signing a free agent contract with LG last month. LG gave him a four-year contract period, totaling 5.2 billion won (1.6 billion won in down payment, 3.6 billion won in annual salary).
Jang Hyun-sik, who was treated as a "special" relief pitcher, said, "I'm working hard because I think I should show exemplary behavior," and added, "I'm trying to get closer to the players."
Although Sejong City is preparing for the season with all its might and might as well as Jamsil, Jang said, "It's not important. I have to be good at baseball," and did not forget the task given to him.
LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop picked Jang Hyun-sik as the closing pitcher for the 2025 season. With Yoo Young-chan and setup man Ham Deok-ju, who were in charge of the team's back door, leaving due to injuries this year, Jang Hyun-sik, who joined the team, has played a bigger role.
Jang, who entered the professional league with the NC Dinos in 2013 and pitched in a total of 437 games through KIA, has no experience playing as a professional finisher. As a member of KIA, he garnered 91 holds overall by posting 34 holds in 2021, while recording only seven saves.
"Whatever role is given, I will do my best," he said, not putting much pressure on unfamiliar positions.
Jang Hyun-sik said, "I think the middle is harder in some ways. So I don't think there will be anything different about the closer."
The fact that there is no pitcher to support him is the biggest burden on the closing pitcher, but Jang also shook his head. "When I was an intermediate pitcher, I threw it thinking, 'I have to block everything, there's no one behind me.' That makes me feel more comfortable," he said reliably. "I just have to finish the game well, which (my teammates) made me feel responsible."
The Korean team will face Kia, which has been in the same league with the Korean team until this year, as an "enemy" starting next year. "They're all the same. They're all the same. They're the same as other teams," Jang said. "However, I think I will have to prove it when I play against Kia. I also think I will be recognized only when I prove that I was the champion's bullpen." This is more than just a willingness to beat the previous team.
In his first year in uniform, his eyes are fixed on the top. As he experienced his first win at KIA this year, his desire to win the top grew.
"My hope for the new year is to win the team title," said Jang Hyun-sik, who emphasized, "It's so nice to win the title. It was so nice to win the title with all our hard work and all our energy. We will all work hard together next year, but I want to finish it by winning the title without any regrets."