“If only I play baseball well…”

Lotte Giants pitcher Jeong Cheol-won took the mound in the 8th inning of a spring training game against the KIA Tigers on the 9th at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan, recording 1 inning, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts, and no runs allowed while the game was tied 0-0. In the 8th, he walked the leadoff hitter Park Jae-hyun after a full-count battle. He then handled Han Seung-taek’s sacrifice bunt himself.

He faced a scoring threat with one out and a runner on second base. However, he calmly eliminated the threat. With one out and a runner on second base, he gained an advantageous count of 1 ball and 2 strikes against Choi Won-jun and induced a swinging strikeout with a 130km forkball. Two outs with a runner on second base followed. Against Yoon Do-hyun, he induced two fouls with forkballs to establish a 2-strike count and then struck him out swinging with a 134km slider. He celebrated by pumping his fist as he finished the inning. On that day, Jeong Cheol-won recorded a top velocity of 147km, utilizing 8 fastballs, 3 sliders, and 3 forkballs.

In November of last year, he was at the center of a massive trade with Doosan Bears, where he joined fellow infielder Jeon Min-jae in donning the Lotte uniform. In exchange, Lotte sent away three players: outfield prospect Kim Min-seok, Chu Jae-hyun, and right-hand pitching prospect Choi Woo-in.

Jeong Cheol-won won the Rookie of the Year award in 2022, finishing with a record of 4 wins, 3 losses, 3 saves, and 23 holds over 72⅔ innings in 58 games, with an earned run average of 3.10. During this period, he had his best season while working with manager Kim Tae-hyung at Doosan. However, his subsequent career has been somewhat disappointing. Notably, last year, he struggled with a record of 2 wins, 1 loss, 6 saves, and 1 hold over 32⅓ innings in 36 games, resulting in an earned run average of 6.40. Nevertheless, Lotte brought him on board, believing in his pitching ability and potential for a comeback. The reunion with manager Kim Tae-hyung also raised expectations for the future.

On the 10th the following day, ahead of the spring training game against LG, during a briefing with reporters, Jeong Cheol-won was trying to enter the locker room after greeting manager Kim Tae-hyung post-practice. At that moment, manager Kim called him back. Noticing Jeong Cheol-won’s somewhat long hairstyle, he asked, “Was that the hairstyle you had when you won the Rookie of the Year at Doosan?” Jeong Cheol-won replied, “I let my back hair grow a little longer.”

Then manager Kim smiled and said, “I wouldn’t have just let that hairstyle be…” It’s understandable that manager Kim, who prefers players to have neat hairstyles, might not have been pleased. However, he told Jeong Cheol-won, “If you play baseball well, you can grow your hair long like (Kim) Won-jung,” laughing heartily. This was manager Kim's way of easing the pressure on Jeong Cheol-won. Manager Kim felt that Jeong Cheol-won was still weighed down by pressure and hoped he could pitch comfortably and as he usually does.

Manager Kim Tae-hyung urged, “I’ve been watching continuously, and the most important thing is to lighten the burden and go up on the mound to throw well without trying too hard. Just pitch your own style.”

Regarding the celebration, it was interpreted as a reflection of Jeong Cheol-won's current burden. Manager Kim stated, “(The celebration) represents his current feelings. He should just pitch comfortably,” and added, “Having been traded here, he seems to have a desire to show a better performance than last year, which creates a mindset to try hard.”

Kim Min-seok of Doosan, who is also at the center of this massive trade along with Jeong Cheol-won, has been swinging fiercely from the practice games to the spring training games as a leadoff hitter and is burning with a sense of vengeance against Lotte. Jeong Cheol-won is also determined to make a comeback reminiscent of his best season in 2022, when he won the Rookie of the Year. Manager Kim Tae-hyung is jokingly and supportively backing Jeong Cheol-won's revival.

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