“I think we gained more than we lost.” This is the idea of LG Twins coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop, who advocates running baseball.
Until the 25th, LG’s successful base stealing rate was 61.4%. Lowest among 10 teams. However, coach Yeom said, “I think it is a great success even if the success rate of stolen bases is 60%.”
We failed a lot, but we succeeded the most among the 10 teams in the league. LG’s team steals 35 bases. As much as that, I sent a lot of runners in scoring position, and it is leading to victory. LG showed it in the process of beating SSG Landers 5-4 at Jamsil Stadium on the 25th.
They achieved a thrilling victory in a match against the first place competitor. In the bottom of the ninth, captain Oh Ji-hwan got a run-off hit. However, it is worth noting that there was a valuable stolen base success in this process.
The bottom of the 9th inning was tied 4-4. After Hong Chang-ki stepped down with a fly ball to center fielder, Moon Seong-ju hit the left fielder. On the bench, Shin Min-jae, who was quick on his feet, was put forward as the runner-up.
Shin Min-jae succeeded in stealing the base and created a chance to finish second base with one out, and Oh Ji-hwan’s double hit. Shin Min-jae went around the third base and passed home comfortably. Oh Ji-hwan became the main character of the final victory, but Shin Min-jae’s success in stealing the base was actually the foundation.
Director Yeom said, “I think I gained more than I lost” due to the stolen base attempt. Coach Yeom said, “The opposing team will be under a lot of pressure. The pitcher of the team facing LG is conscious that (the runner) will continue to run. A pitcher who thinks of runners has a higher chance of missing a pitch than a pitcher who focuses 100% on the batter. I think there is a high probability that the catcher’s ball combination will also be tailored to the runner, not the pitcher.” 안전놀이터
It’s a conclusion, but SSG veteran pitcher Noh Kyung-eun, who took the mound in the bottom of the 9th inning, was beaten by Oh Ji-hwan.
Every coach has a baseball style he pursues. At the end of the season, it is not yet known what style of baseball will be evaluated as ‘successful’, but the baseball coach Yeom pursues is currently leading the team to first place.
Of course, just because the team has fewer stolen bases doesn’t mean they are at the bottom of the rankings. SSG, a rival team of LG, has only 9 stolen bases. But we are fighting for first place. It is a team that shows competitiveness with different team colors.
Still, the LG players are actively working on ‘running baseball’. Captain Oh Ji-hwan said, “I completely agree. I think there is no team play (as much as running baseball). I felt it since I was a rookie,” he said. “I have stolen 20 and 30 bases. I think it should be highly evaluated that I made 20 scoring chances at the expense of myself. Even if the batting average is low, I think sacrifice is a team play.”