"No. 1 among backup catchers." A military-pil catcher born in 1999 showed potential in the ABS era
"No. 1 among backup catchers." A military-pil catcher born in 1999 showed potential in the ABS era
Blog Article
The catcher is a position that requires a lot of experience to grow. It takes time to grow backup resources as well as the main players. Among the backup catchers of each club, Lee Byung-hun of the Samsung Lions showed extraordinary performance.
Lee, who was born in 1999, played in 95 games in the 2024 season and posted a batting average of 0.248 on-base plus 0.335 slugging percentage of 0.297. He served as the backup for his flagship catcher Kang Min-ho.스포츠토토
Blocking has taken a step forward. He showed signs of nervousness early in the season, but he has gained stability as time goes by.
This can also be confirmed in the records. In terms of wild pitching + foil allowance (pass/9) per nine innings, Lee recorded 0.491. He is ranked ninth among players who have played more than 48 games. Lee will be preceded by Kim Tae-gun (0.239), Kim Hyung-joon (0.310), Lee Ji-young (0.384), Jang Sung-woo (0.389), Park Dong-won (0.391), Kang Min-ho (0.415), Kim Jae-hyun (0.439) and Son Sung-bin (0.444). All of them are main catchers of their respective teams, and naturally, Lee ranked first among backup teams.
The importance of blocking has increased since the introduction of the Automatic Ball-Strike System (ABS). Before the introduction of ABS, a catcher who is good at framing received attention. Yoo Kang-nam received high treatment for his long-term framing, winning a four-year, 8 billion won contract with his unique framing ability.
After the introduction of ABS, there was no room for framing to intervene. ABS declares a ball and strike as soon as the ball passes through the home plate. The catcher's catch does not affect the result.
During the season, LG Twins manager Yeom Kyung-yeop cited "blocking" as a technology to replace framing. "Framing is less important," Yeom said. "You can easily lose points depending on blocking, or you can easily give a base."
"The skill is whether to drop the ball in front or far away," he said. "If there is a runner on the third base, one point is given. It is easy to give one base."
Considering the environment of the KBO league, the importance of blocking increases even more. Most batters in the KBO league take contact-oriented level swings. Naturally, with a horizontal breaking ball, it is not easy for a pitcher to overwhelm a batter. To make a swing or a weak ball, a vertical breaking ball must be used, and the catcher's blocking ability shines.
Kang Min-ho also praised Lee. "Lee has grown a lot," Kang said at the Golden Glove ceremony. "Lee has already solved military problems. I hope he can lead Samsung's home turf well."
If you dream of becoming a "post-Kang Min-ho," you should concentrate more on your efforts. Game 5 of the Korean Series proves this. Lee replaced Kang as the starting catcher on the day. Did Lee overcome the pressure of the Korean Series? Lee and the Samsung pitching staff committed three wild pitches, losing 5-7.
Kang Min-ho turns 40 this year. He needs to manage his physical strength, and Lee Byung-hun needs to support him. If Lee Byung-hun shows a high-quality blocking, Samsung's challenge to become the president will be easier.