KIA Tigers manager Lee Bum-ho made the remarks ahead of the match against Doosan Bears in Jamsil on March 31. He said that foreign ace Will Crow (30) could feel this way through his two appearances. In the end, manager Lee Bum-ho called it a “command problem.”
Crowe is the first starter selected by KIA. Last year, he had a shoulder pain issue, so he was selected with confidence that he would not be sick again after cross-checking. There is no word that he is actually sick, but the content of the pitch is not good. When he had two wins and an ERA of 2.00 in two exhibition games, he felt he would not worry, but he changed 180 degrees with the opening.
In the opening game against the Kiwoom Heroes on the 23rd of last month, Crowe allowed six hits (one homer) in five ⅔ innings, five strikeouts, one walk and five runs (four earned). Kiwoom’s batting lineup should not be ignored, but it is true that its power is at the bottom of the league objectively. The speed exceeded 150 kilometers, but there were not a few mistakes. From the time Choi Joo-hwan hit a first two-run shot, he was well caught in the center of the bat by Kiwoom hitters.
I thought it was temporary, but I was beaten again in a game against the Doosan Bears in Jamsil on April 29. He allowed six hits, five strikeouts, three walks, and five runs in 4.1 innings. The maximum speed of his fastball was 152 km on the day, but the game was similar to that of the game against Kiwoom. There were many cases where both fastballs and breaking balls went well.
According to the statistics, a baseball statistics site, Crow’s hit rate is 0.333 with four-seam and cutter at 0.273. Although his curveball is not high, his four-seam and cutter rates were 24.3 percent and 21.9 percent. With 21.3 percent of his two-seam and 18.9 percent of his changeups, he throws the most balls.
Crowe also has a sweeper with a lot of movement. Although it has increased the proportion of the Doosan match, the sweeper alone cannot beat the batters. Coach Lee Bum-ho said the command should be adjusted, but he is also expected to think about pitch design. In fact, the patterns against Kiwoom and Doosan were a little different. In the match against Doosan, the proportion of pitching depth has been greatly increased, but it is true that in Korea, a pitcher who plays well with a changeable ball on the home plate, such as two-seam and sweeper, has an advantage.
“I have good ball power. However, if you feel that your ball makes a cut and hits a hit in a straight line, you will have to worry about throwing it to the course (boarder line),” coach Lee Bum-ho said. “You have to wait until you get used to the Korean baseball game. I feel as if my mound is floating in the air and I have high tension compared to other mound. I have good ball power, so I think it will be okay if I adjust a bit more.”
James Nail got off to a flying start after struggling somewhat at the exhibition game against Crow. Yang Hyeon-jong, Lee Eui-ri, and Yoon Young-cheol were also good players. KIA is playing this season with solid combination of its starting lineup and bullpen. In a way, it is an environment where Crow can feel less pressure, and in a way, it may feel like Crow should exercise responsibility.
BY: 토토사이트 순위