Shim Jae-min said, “It’s difficult after only 5 episodes.” Still, selection is based on ‘physique’

The selection is perfect.

Lotte Giants left-handed pitcher Shim Jae-min started the away game against the KIA Tigers in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 13th. He pitched well in 5 innings, allowing 3 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 1 run. With a cold game in the 6th inning, a 3-1 win was confirmed, earning the starting win. This is his first time since his debut.

In June 2013, he received priority nomination for KT’s new team. He debuted in the first team with KT in 2015. He worked in various positions and gained experience step by step. He found his home in Lotte through a trade last May. He swapped uniforms with infielder Lee Ho-yeon.

He was not called up to the first team right away. He honed his skills in the second military service. Called up on June 22nd. Afterwards, he participated in the middle-level fighting team. The SSG match on the 17th of last month was a turning point. He got the start and allowed two runs in three innings. He wasn’t perfect, but he showed promise.

Opportunities followed. He started against Samsung on the 7th and caught the attention of the head coach by allowing 1 run in 5 innings. He proved his skills by allowing 1 run in 5 innings in 2 consecutive games against KIA. His total pitch count was 75 (46 for strikes). He used fastballs (30), change-ups (21), curves (19), and sliders (5) with a maximum speed of 143 km per hour. Finally, I got my precious first starting win.안전놀이터

Shim Jae-min said, “I try to throw more strikes than balls every game. I tried to put the ball in the strike zone as much as possible without thinking about the number of pitches. I looked at the zone and threw,” adding, “There are many hitters in KIA who are strong at fastballs. Before the game, I throw breaking balls. “It turned out well what I had in mind,” he said with a smile.

Regarding winning as a starting pitcher, “I thought I wanted to achieve it every time I started, but I didn’t have a big desire. Rather than winning as a starting pitcher, I wanted to show that I could pitch for a long time,” he said. “I’ve played in the bullpen, so if the starting pitching collapses quickly, it’s difficult (to pitch in the middle). “I knew that, so I tried to pitch long innings,” he said.

He tried to get his mind together before stretching. Shim Jae-min said, “After the trade, I was in the 2nd team, and (Lee) Ho-yeon was doing well at KT, so there were a lot of articles. I was also impatient. I had a strong feeling that I had to show something,” and “I did a lot of exercise in the 2nd team, mainly running. Weight management. “I also focused on weight training for this,” he explained.

He then recalled, “I tend to have an impatient personality (laughter). I wanted to work hard and take good care of myself to get to the first team quickly. All I wanted to do was do well.”

There are things I want to improve on despite the continued good pitching. Shim Jae-min laughed and said, “I want to try a quality start (6 innings or more, no more than 3 earned runs as a starter). But it’s too difficult if it’s only the 5th inning,” and added, “This time, I thought, ‘Let’s throw until the 6th inning,’ but it rained a lot. Let’s focus on each inning at a time. “I tried to hold out until the first episode,” he said.

I often hear people around me saying, ‘Selection is all about constitution.’ Shim Jae-min said, “Honestly, it’s so hard for me to die. It was difficult to get out in the beginning of the game, but it became a little easier as I tried to fill the 5th inning. I don’t think that just because I pitched well in a few games, I became a starting pitcher. Pitching coach Kim Hyun-wook also said that inning, “He talked about velocity, breaking ball timing, location, etc. and told me to exercise more.”

On the 23rd, the Hangzhou Asian Games national team will be convened and begin its first training. Park Se-woong and Na Kyun-an are scheduled to leave Lotte’s starting lineup. Shim Jae-min expressed his determination, saying, “As I have been given the opportunity to be selected, I will try to pitch responsibly in every game. If there is a given mission, I will do my best to do it.”