The nightmare-like memory of a year ago is clear. can’t win twice
Hanwha is keenly aware of the condition of foreign pitcher Birch Smith (33), who voluntarily suffered from shoulder pain in the opening game. As a result of cross-checking at two orthopedic clinics in Seoul on the 3rd, it was revealed that there was micro damage to the muscles that did not significantly affect pitching.
Fortunately, it’s not a big injury, and I’m starting to prepare for a return to catch this weekend or early next week. It could be to the point of skipping the starting rotation once or twice, but the problem is if the injury reoccurs. Even if there is no pain during the return process, if the player feels uneasy, there is a possibility that the return will be delayed.
Hanwha plans not to wait long for this process. In preparation for Smith’s injury, he made an early list of substitute foreign players to prepare for any unexpected situations. The injury time came too sooner than expected, but the recruiting target for replacement was also specifically determined, not just at the level of selecting candidates. The moment you decide to change, you can move right away.
The reason why Hanwha was able to prepare for the recruitment of foreign players so quickly is because they experienced a nightmare a year ago. Last year, Hanwha faced the bad news that foreign pitchers Nick Kingham and Ryan Carpenter left due to injuries side by side at the end of the Daejeon LG game on April 16-17. Both of them had only pitched 3 games in the season.
Even at the initial injury, Kingham was given a two-week break due to a sprained upper arm muscle, and Carpenter felt uncomfortable with his elbow, so it didn’t seem like it would take long. However, Kingham did not touch the ball after the two-week break, and Carpenter continued to delay his return date as well.
After a hiatus on the 37th, Carpenter returned against Doosan in Daejeon on May 25, recording 3 scoreless innings, but the next day the pain recurred and it was his last game. Kingham was also released after Carpenter on June 1 when pain recurred during bullpen pitching. Substitute foreign pitchers Jefri Ramirez and Felix Pena only played their first games on June 21 and July 3, respectively.
Including Carpenter’s brief comeback, Hanwha went down with 19 wins, 32 losses and 1 draw (.373 win rate) in 52 games for two months from April 18th to June 19th, with both foreign pitchers missing. During this period, the team’s ERA was the only one in the 5-point range (5.27), and the starting ERA reached 5.99. The average starting innings was only 4⅓ innings, and the aftermath was transmitted to the bullpen. By the time the substitute players came, it was as if the season was over as the bottom place had already been solidified. In the end, the team finished with the lowest win rate (.324) since 1986 (.290), the first year of its founding, with the club’s highest ever record of 96 losses (46 wins, 2 draws) in a single season.
Since he experienced such a nightmare a year ago, Smith’s injury has no choice but to be viewed more sensitively by the fans as well as the Hanwha club. Throughout his career, Smith suffered constant injuries to his elbow, forearm, groin, side, and fingers. He has not played a full-time season in the last three years since 2020. He was recruited at the risk of injury, but he did not know that it would explode from the opening game. 안전놀이터
It is fortunate if Smith returns quickly and shows a normal pitch with a healthy appearance, but if not, Hanwha immediately pulls out a replacement card. Using last year as a teacher on the other hand, I will not wait twice.