Yang Hyun-jong (35-KIA Tigers) leaps into sole possession of second place on the KBO’s all-time wins list with 162. MBC Sports Plus baseball commentator Jung Min-cheol (51), who slipped to third place, expressed his gratitude and called on the younger players to step up.
Yang Hyun-jong and Kim Kwang-hyun (35-SSG Landers), who has 152 wins, are two of the biggest pitchers in Korean baseball and have been around for more than 15 years.
It’s a different story for right-handers, however, with few players able to come close to the record of Jeong Min-chul (161 wins), the third all-time winner and the first right-hander.
Among the active players, Song Eun-beom (39-LG-88 wins) is clearly limited by his age, while Choi Won-tae (26-KIUM-63 wins), Park Se-woong (28-LOTTE-55 wins), Ahn Woo-jin (24-KIUM), Won Tae-in (23-SAMSUNG-37 wins) and Choi Soo-joon (22-KT-33 wins) are the others.토토사이트
These players are young and have a bright future, so they can certainly challenge Chung’s record. However, they will have to play consistently for the next decade or so.
“There was a famine of right-handed pitchers in the middle of the decade,” Chung told me earlier at Jamsil Stadium, “but recently, young pitchers like (Ahn) Woo-jin, (Kim) Dong-joo and (Kwak) Bin have been coming up. I think that time will come sooner or later. I think they will be able to pitch without getting sick and without any major issues.”
The talent alone is enough. The important thing is to be able to show that talent for a long time. That’s why Yang Hyun-jong and Kim Kwang-hyun deserve more applause.
Chung, who has been more consistent than anyone else in his career with double-digit wins in 10 of his 16 seasons, had some advice for his younger counterparts.
“There are things you need to do in the future to challenge records like Yang Hyun-jong, or to have a long run and do well,” he said. “Your personal life, your life after taking off your uniform, should be related to baseball, so you can have a long career,” he said.
“I’ve seen people like Sun Dong-yeol and Song Jin-woo from the sidelines,” said Jung Min-cheol, “They liked to drink in the past, but all their lives were very close to baseball. It’s hard to think of a time when they got into trouble.”
It’s not uncommon to see players end their careers prematurely because of controversial school bullying histories or personal issues, or because they can’t manage their personal lives. Some are so talented that they take their clothes off.
“I think it’s just a matter of keeping your personal life private,” Jung said, emphasising that it’s important to have a rhythm to your life after taking off your uniform.