Ryu Hyun-jin returns to Hanwha after 12 years and is reunited with his 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medal teammates.
Hanwha, which has set up its second spring training camp in Okinawa, Japan, will play a scrimmage against Samsung at the Akama Ballpark in Onna, Okinawa, Japan, on Saturday. Ryu will not pitch in the game, but will travel with the players to Akama Ballpark to throw a second bullpen session.
Samsung’s roster includes manager Park Jin-man, hitting coach Lee Jin-young, Oh Seung-hwan (pitcher) and Kang Min-ho (catcher), all of whom were key players in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Ryu arrived at the Gochinda Baseball Stadium in Okinawa, Japan, where Hanwha’s second spring training camp is being held, on the afternoon of Sept. 23 to meet with the team and work out individually. Accompanied by his personal trainer, Jang Se-hong, Ryu warmed up by running and stretching, then played catch to prepare for his first bullpen pitch.
Ryu threw 45 pitches in the bullpen in front of general manager Son Hyuk,
Manager Choi Won-ho, pitching coach Park Seung-min, and personal trainer Jang Se-hong. He threw a mix of fastballs, sliders, changeups, and curves. 스포츠토토 After watching Ryu pitch out of the bullpen, manager Choi Won-ho said, “It’s good. It’s good,” Choi said with a smile.
Jung Woo-bin, a bullpen catcher who worked with Ryu, said, “The ball came in really straight. American pitches are different. Just by looking at his pitching form, it looks like he’s not 100 percent. Still, the ball came in straight and the angle of his changeup was good.”
When asked how he felt after the first training session, Ryu said, “I think it was good. Everyone was so happy to see me, so I think I was happy to be here,” he said.
As for his first bullpen pitch, he said, “It was no problem at all because I’ve been preparing for it. I’ve been training indoors, so I wanted to get outdoors as soon as possible, so I threw as soon as I got here today, and I think I threw well,” he said.
Ryu is scheduled to start the regular season opener against LG on March 23 at Jamsil Stadium.
Meanwhile, Ryu, who won three titles in his debut year in 2006 – wins, ERA, and strikeouts – and went on to win the Rookie of the Year, Regular Season MVP, and Pitcher’s Golden Glove, has been one of the best pitchers in the KBO with a career record of 98 wins, 52 losses, one save, 1238 strikeouts, and a 2.80 ERA.
In 2013, he moved to the Major Leagues, where he has been a quality starter on the world’s biggest stage, posting a 78-48-1 record with one save, 934 strikeouts, and a 3.27 ERA through last year. He had his best season in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 14-5 with 163 strikeouts and a 2.32 ERA, finishing second in the National League Cy Young Award voting.
“I think our team has the power to do well with the reinforcement of power and the growth of young players,” said Ryu, who will be wearing a Hanwha uniform again. “I promise to work hard with my teammates to show the fans baseball for as long as possible this season.”