“I was under a lot of stress…”
LG left-hander Kim Yun-sik emerged as a homegrown ace in the second half of last year. It was enough to raise hopes that he could be the protagonist of the Kim Kwang-hyun, Yang Hyun-jong and Ahn Woo-jin that LG has been looking for for years, but his preparation for this season has been a mixed bag. He was still unsure of his routine, and his call-up to the WBC left him with little time to focus on his conditioning.
He disappeared after the Kiwoom game on June 8, and spent three months preparing for the season again before returning to Jamsil Hanwha on June 2. Aka Icheon’s summer camp. The process of spring training was repeated in Icheon in the summer.
On May 2, he pitched five innings against Hanwha, allowing one run on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk. On May 8, he pitched 5⅓ innings against KIA in Gwangju, allowing one run on seven hits with three strikeouts and one walk. It was his first start in three and a half months since May 21 against Hanwha. He is 4-4 with a 4.65 ERA on the season.
Although his results are still below expectations, Kim Yun-sik has gotten a feel for it. He said, “At the beginning of the season, I was frustrated because I was only getting 130 kilometers and my balance was off. I went to Icheon with the idea of improving my body. I was determined and prepared again.” As a result, he rebalanced and increased his restraint.
Specifically, Kim Yun-sik said, “I was very stressed. I couldn’t sleep, and I was struggling. I looked up videos when it was good, but as I kept watching and practicing, I thought, ‘This is what it feels like.’ My body leaned forward early. I was trying to swing from the front when I should have been swinging from the back with my center of gravity.”
“It didn’t affect me,” he said of the WBC, but he didn’t make excuses. “I didn’t train well, but I wasn’t ready. Now I’ve regained my confidence. My fastball 사설토토 is better than it was in September last year when I was at my best,” he said.
Kim averaged up to 142 mph with his fastball on the day. He pitched efficiently with a slider and changeup. He made the turning point of the season by shutting down the KIA bats, which had been on a roll lately. “Won-tae (Choi) came while I was gone, but I don’t care. First of all, I will do my best in the remaining regular season.”