The Doosan Bears' new foreign pitcher finally revealed his skills.
Doosan's new foreign pitcher Jack Logue started on the 22nd at Nango Stadium in Nichinan City, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, in the second evaluation match of the spring camp against the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball, performing excellently with 2 innings, 1 hit, 1 strikeout, and no earned runs, helping the team secure a 5-4 victory.
Jack Logue uneasily started his first outing by allowing an infield hit to lead-off hitter Nishikawa in the bottom of the first inning. Then, after Takizawa's sacrifice bunt put him in a scoring position with one out and a runner on second base, he managed to avoid any runs by striking out Tyler Nevin and catching Leandro Cedeno with a fly out to center field.
In the bottom of the second inning, facing lead-off hitter Tono Saki, he threw a tight fastball on a full count and struck him out looking. While he recorded a fly out to right field against the next batter Genda, he allowed Watanabe Seiya to reach base due to a throwing error by shortstop Lee Yu-chan but managed to get Watanabe Gento out with a foul fly to third base, completing the test.
Jack Logue threw 26 pitches in 2 innings, showcasing a fastball that reached up to 148 km, along with cutters, change-ups, and sweepers. Although it was his first time on the Asian stage, he displayed competitive pitching against Nippon Professional Baseball's first-team players, who are one level above the KBO League.
After the game, Jack Logue said, "I feel good for starting off on the right foot. It was my first time pitching in Asia, and it's a great start," adding, "My current physical condition is very good. I’m up to about 90%. I actually thought I would throw 35 to 40 pitches in 2 innings today, but I am satisfied with throwing much less than that."
Thanks to his no-earned-run performance in 2 innings, Jack Logue was awarded the practice game’s Outstanding Pitcher Award and received prize money. When asked how he would use the prize money, he noted, "I guess I should probably treat the players to coffee today or tomorrow."
Doosan terminated its contract with Thomas Hatch last December due to medical issues, and without hesitation, chose Jack Logue. The team invested $800,000 (approximately 110 million won) to acquire a left-handed pitcher who throws a sweeper.
Jack Logue, who made his Major League debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2022, has pitched in 19 games (10 starts) across 3 seasons in the big leagues, accumulating 70 innings with a record of 3 wins and 8 losses and an earned run average of 7.20. He played for the Detroit Tigers in the 2023 season and donned the uniform of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2024.
In Triple-A minor leagues, he participated in 24 games (13 starts) last year, pitching 93⅔ innings with 75 hits and an earned run average of 2.69. His career stats in Triple-A include 87 games (68 starts), 355⅓ innings, 21 wins, 25 losses, 1 hold, 1 save, and an earned run average of 5.07.
Jack Logue features a fastball that reaches a top speed of 147 km, along with sinkers, change-ups, cutters, and sweepers. He is a rarity in the KBO League as a left-handed pitcher with a sweeper as his primary weapon. A Doosan representative stated, "Logue is a player we have consistently observed for three years and his unique pitching form includes deception, making it difficult for batters to hit his pitches."
Jack Logue has been garnering great expectations since the initial spring training camp in Sydney, Australia. His sweeper had a significant angle, and his cutter was effective on left-handed batters. Doosan's left-handed batters, who experienced his breaking pitches during live batting practice, all remarked that the ball came in fearlessly. Logue recorded a pitch speed of up to 150 km during his first live batting practice and received evaluations that his control and command were better than that of the team's ace Call Irvin.
Jack Logue was aware of the expectations from the Doosan players and fans. He said, "I understand the fans' expectations. That’s why I’m preparing to work even harder alongside Irvin," adding, "I prioritize team performance over personal goals. If the team does well, my records will follow, and that would be the best scenario. I want to complete 150 innings."
He added a wish, saying, "I want to quickly go to Korea and meet the Doosan fans."