He is recreating the form he had in Doosan, when he was a stalwart backstop and led the team to the championship. Injuries and slumps plagued him for two years after the trade, but he bounced back perfectly with a strong opening series. Ham Deok-ju (28), a specialty middle reliever who always pitches well regardless of the situation, is saving LG.
This time, he also stopped the opponent’s pursuit in a difficult moment. Ham took the mound after starter Plutko with runners on first and second in the bottom of the sixth inning against KIA in Gwangju on April 26. He became the second pitcher in the game’s most crucial situation, striking out Ryu Ji-hyuk with a low fastball.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ham gave up a walk to Socrates but retired Choi Hyung-woo and Kim Sun-bin at first base to preserve the lead. LG went on to win 5-3 and Ham Deok-ju picked up his seventh shutout of the season. With a 1.52 ERA and three saves, he and Park Myung-geun have been the go-to guys in tough situations.
Here’s what he had to say to the media after the game on Saturday.
-When I was in camp, I just wanted to stay in the first team for a long time. He’s not just staying long, he’s pitching in really important situations.
“When I was in camp, I didn’t think I’d be in the first team full-time like this. I just wanted to stay in the first team for a long time, but from the opening series, the manager put his faith in me and let me go out in good situations, so I’ve been throwing with the mindset of repaying him. I think I’m playing better baseball because of it.”
-Suwon You got off to a great start in the second game of the opening series, and I’m wondering if that’s why you’ve been playing so well.
I think that game gave me a lot of confidence, and I think the manager had a lot of faith in me after seeing how I was pitching. I also gained a lot of confidence from that match. It was the game that made me realize that I’m still good, and that’s the game I still remember the most.
(Ham Deok-ju pitched two scoreless innings in the ninth inning against Suwon KT on April 2. He pitched well in the second game of the opening two-game series, and LG earned its first win of the season with a 10-9 victory over KT in extra innings. Ham Deok-ju also picked up the win).
-You’ve been seen pitching in difficult situations with runners on base, such as today’s game, or in a save situation in the ninth inning, how does it feel to pitch in such an important moment after a long time?
When I have runners on base, I try to throw as hard as I can because I don’t want them to get home. My manager and pitching coach tell me that I can go out anytime after the sixth inning, so I try to prepare a little earlier. I don’t want to finish the game, I just want to continue to contribute to the team.
-Your pitches, both fastballs and strikes, don’t seem to be any worse than when you were at your best. What do you think of yourself?
I don’t know about my fastball, but I think it’s actually better now than when I was at my best. In the past, in difficult situations, I would just look at the center and try to throw hard. Now that it’s my first pitch, I don’t have to worry about difficult or ambiguous situations. It’s a little bit easier for hitters.
-At this rate, he could be a dark horse in free agency next winter. We know that pitchers like you are scarce on the market. How do you feel about that?
Honestly, I feel good. I see articles about free agency, and every time I see it, I feel good. It’s still early, but I’m a little bit hopeful.
-After the trade, he wasn’t well-received, but at this rate, he could be a call-up. What do you think?
At first, I honestly said I didn’t care, but it bothered me. It’s not like I was just bad, but I was injured for two years and didn’t play well. I felt really bad about that, but the club has always been there for me, adjusting and helping me. This year, I feel like I’m paying them back a little bit. I hope to repay the debt by winning the championship.메이저놀이터
-Lee, on the day he put on the LG jersey after the March 2021 trade, I remember vowing to win.
I remember it too. And now I want to win even more than I did then. I’ve won championships before and I know what it feels like, so I really want to win. Sometimes I think about how much happier it would be to win a championship here at LG and how much the fans would love it. I draw pictures of myself winning in my head, and every time I do, I want to win more and more.
-Are you confident of winning?
I think we have the best chance. Overall, the hitters are playing really well and the pitchers are doing really well. We have a really good team atmosphere. It would be weird if we didn’t win. I think we can win it.