An emotional call-up after 7 years. Doosan Bears Kim Ho-jun showed off a scoreless pitch in his debut match.
Kim Ho-jun made his debut in the season 4 away match between the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League KT Wiz and the team held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 19th. His performance on this day was 22 pitches, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and no run in one inning.
Kim Ho-jun, who graduated from Seongnam Iljung-Ansang Technical High School, was not selected by a professional club in the rookie draft. However, during his school days, he could not let go of the baseball he had been holding in his hand, and he developed his dream of becoming a professional at the independent baseball team Paju Challengers. And after the 2017 season ended, he signed a training contract with Doosan and finally stepped on the professional stage.
I came to wear a professional uniform amidst twists and turns, but the process of stepping on the first team stage was also not smooth. Ho-Jun Kim appeared in 48 games in the Futures League in his first season with a team, recording 4 wins, 1 loss, 4 holds, 5 saves, and an average ERA of 3.30. However, he did not receive a call up to the first team. Seven years passed like that, and on the 19th, Kim Kang-ryul was finally called up to the first team.
Prior to the game on the 19th, coach Lee Seung-yeop said, “Kim Ho-jun has a good pitch, but his control was always a problem. However, his control has improved a lot in the Futures League, and he was reported to have the best pitch in the bullpen, so I called him up.” revealed
Kim Ho-jun is a left-handed pitcher with a maximum speed of 146 km. He has a slider and a forkball. This season, in 13 games, he is recording an average ERA of 4.50 with 1 win, 2 holds, 2 saves, and his ERA in 5 seasons in the Futures League is 6 wins, 8 losses, 15 holds, 8 saves, 4.47 ERA in 130 appearances.
Prior to the game, Kim Ho-jun said, “I was shocked when I received the call yesterday (18th). It’s my first 1st team registration in 7 years since wearing the Doosan Bears uniform, and I feel good and excited.” I want to give it to you.” And he was given the opportunity to play until his debut at the same time as he was enrolled in the first team.
Kim Ho-jun climbed the mound at the bottom of the 8th inning, with the score 1-6. She got off to a good start. Kim Ho-joon threw a 143km fastball to lead batter Son Min-seok, inducing a foul, and then succeeded in inducing a ground ball to the first baseman through a 146km fastball on the second pitch, making his first out count in his first team debut. But after that, pitching was a little uneasy. 스포츠토토
Kim Ho-joon was attacked by Park Min-seok with a 142km fastball on the 4th pitch without a runner in the first company, gave a hit to center fielder, and then gave up a walk against Kang Baek-ho, causing a crisis of conceding runs on 1st and 2nd base. But he soon found peace. Kim Ho-jun struck out on a swing with a 129km slider after a 5-pitch game with follow-up hitter Kim Min-hyuk, and even Sang-cheol Moon, who showed off his sense of hitting with 3 hits that day, turned it into a floating ball in right field and finished the inning with a scoreless run.
Of course, there are some areas that need further refinement. However, Kim Ho-joon hinted at his potential by throwing a 146km fastball (14 pitches) and a slider (8 pitches) mixed, throwing a scoreless pitch in his first team debut in 7 years. From now on, it’s a fight for survival. It remains to be seen whether Kim Ho-joon will be able to survive steadily without stopping at his thrilling call-up and his debut.