turned a crisis into an opportunity. This is the story of the Hanwha Eagles, who recruited Ricardo Sanchez (26) as a substitute foreign pitcher.
On April 1st, Hanwha was in a state of emergency. Butch Smith, who started the opening game, went down the hill without completing the third inning due to shoulder pain. It was difficult to predict when he would return because it was so sensitive.카지노사이트
An official from the Hanwha operation team said in a phone call with this magazine, “We planned to send a scout to the United States unconditionally in the second week of April, regardless of Smith’s injury. there was,” he said. Hanwha spent a lot of time waiting for Nick Kingham and Ryan Carpenter to recover from injuries last season. Based on my experience a year ago, I prepared an alternative in advance.
Considering the minor league Triple A schedule that started in early April, the club scout moved to the United States around the 11th. An official from the management team said, “Since Smith was ill before the opening game, we went out (to the United States) as soon as we planned.” “Our first goal was to recruit a left-handed pitcher. recalled. The left-handed pitcher, who was the first candidate, was the resource that promoted recruitment last year. He decided that he was the type to succeed in the KBO League, but the timing of the contract was not right. Sanchez was the pitcher that scouts for replacements reported as being of a similar type to the first-choice candidate.
It is not that there were no question marks. According to his profile, Sanchez is not tall at 1m78cm. As of the opening game in 2023, Kirk McCarty (SSG Landers, 1m73cm) is the only one of the 20 foreign pitchers in the KBO League whose height is less than 1m80cm. Even compared to Smith, who is 1m93cm, the difference was large. If a foreign pitcher is tall, he may have an advantage in the release point or extension (the distance from the footboard to the throwing fingertip when pitching). This is why the club prefers tall players over short ones. Although it was a negative factor for Sanchez, Hanwha, who analyzed the video in detail, concluded that “it can work in Korea.”
An official from the management team said, “Sanchez mixed a changeup toward the left-handed batter and a two-seam fastball toward the right-handed batter. He threw a threatening ball into every corner of the strike zone.” . That meant that there was a decision (hidden motion), so it was difficult to match the timing. (Son Hyuk) It didn’t take long for the director to decide after watching the video.”
Hanwha, whose scouts departed on the 11th, decided to recruit Sanchez on the 15th. The final step was negotiations with Sanchez’s home team, the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox are one of the big league clubs that are having trouble negotiating transfer fees. Hanwha obtained an autograph after actively courting her. Internally, it is said that “the truth has been communicated”.
Sanchez boasts a 100% win rate in games he starts this season. Courtesy of Hanwha Eagles
An official from the operation team said, “The president (Park Chan-hyuk) and the team leader helped us well. It could take a long time on weekends, so we prepared everything in advance. Scouts went to Atlanta to get visas. The time required for administrative procedures was greatly reduced.” said. Hanwha’s contract with Sanchez was made on the morning of the 20th. After leaving the scout, he finished all contracts and wore the Eagles uniform before 10 days.
Sanchez is on a soft landing in the KBO League. In his first nine starts, he went 5 with a 1.48 earned run average. Hanwha boasts a 100% win rate with 8 wins and 1 draw in Sanchez’s games.
Hanwha’s 2023 season is divided into before and after the signing of Sanchez. Before Sanchez made his debut, Hanwha’s win rate was only 0.345 (10 wins, 1 draw, 19 losses). However, after Sanchez entered the rotation, the win rate was much higher at 0.525 (21 wins, 3 draws, 19 losses). As he brings victory to his team every time he pitches, it is no small feat to call him ‘good luck’. Thanks to the bold and fast move, the atmosphere in the team changed 180 degrees