“I had a great desire to win.”
Daegu seems to be a land of opportunity for KIA Tigers pitching prospect Choi Ji-min (20). His first win in his debut and his first save were all recorded in Daegu.
In the Daegu Samsung Lions game on the 16th, he came out as the second pitcher after starter Sean Anderson. He blocked 1.1 innings with 2 hits, 1 strikeout, and no runs, earning his first win in 2 years since his debut.
Daegu seems 메이저놀이터to be the promised land to Choi Ji-min. Photo = Reporter Kim Young-gu
On the 17th, it came up in a crisis situation. In the bottom of the ninth, Samsung counterattacked fiercely. With a 7-3 lead, it hit the bottom of the ninth. However, Jung Hae-Young, the finisher, was in trouble. While catching one outcount, he was shaken with 2 hits in 0.1 innings, 1 run and 3 runs (2 earned), and Samsung followed up to 6-7.
The KIA bench raised Choi Ji-min in the situation of the first runner and second base. Choi Ji-min did her part. He saved the team from a crisis. Ja-wook Koo was grounded to second base and Min-ho Kang was grounded to shortstop. KIA’s winning streak was preserved, and Yoon Young-chul’s second win of the season was also preserved.
After the game, Choi Ji-min said, “I had a great desire to win. Thanks to that, I was able to win.”
Before coming to Daegu, KIA was mired in a 5-game losing streak. He succeeded in rebounding in Daegu. At the center was Choi Ji-min.
“It feels good to help fill my confidence,” he said. He said, “I’m even more happy because he’s on the way from a losing streak to a winning streak.” Regarding his impression of being interviewed for two days in a row, he laughed, saying, “The more interviews you do, the better it is.”
The previous day, he showed greed for selection. This time, he recorded a save and was interviewed, so the question came up, ‘Isn’t the finishing pitcher greedy?
He said, “I still have more greed for starting pitchers. I am not greedy for selection this year. There is no desire for ball speed. He went up and threw my ball without conceding much. I’m glad I watched Yeong-chul’s victory again,” he smiled.