On the 22nd, Lee Ho-jun of the NC Dinos baseball team faced a shocking defeat in his managerial debut and opening game.
In the bottom of the 8th inning, holding a 2-1 lead against KIA Tigers' ace James Neale, who had led the team to a championship last year, Lee Ho-jun brought in Jeon Sa-min after starting pitcher Logan Allen and Kim Tae-kyung.
Jeon Sa-min is a pitcher who captured Lee Ho-jun's attention through spring training and practice games. At a media day held before the season opener, when asked to name a player to watch, Lee chose outfielder Kim Ju-won and pitcher Jeon Sa-min. The manager praised Jeon, saying, "I am considering him as a potential closer in the future."
During the exhibition season, Lee Ho-jun noted, "He prepared a lot and is showing results. The umpires are saying, 'The ball is really good' after seeing Jeon Sa-min's pitches. His ball movement was excellent," and added, "Control was key, and the pitching coach and data team discussed it extensively. We corrected his delivery by eliminating distractions during the windup and using a set position." He also mentioned that Jeon has excellent base runner control, stating, "When there are base runners, you can’t run. He is probably the fastest with the slide step in our country." Lee Ho-jun showcased Jeon Sa-min in a crucial eighth inning situation in his debut game, indicating that he has faith in the player's growth. However, despite his improvement and strong pitches, Jeon Sa-min had only appeared in 34 first-team games until last year, mostly in chase scenarios. He ended with no wins, two losses, and a 6.66 earned run average. He recorded a save against Hanwha on May 26, 2023, but it was a three-inning save. His capabilities needed to be validated in the regular season and close situations.
The opening game on the 22nd marked the beginning. However, Jeon Sa-min delivered a disastrous debut in a key situation. He allowed a single to leadoff hitter Choi Won-jun and walked Park Chan-ho. Although he retired pinch hitter Hong Jong-pyo with a foul fly, he gave up a game-tying hit to Na Sung-bum with one out and runners on first and second. Lee Ho-jun pushed Jeon Sa-min further, but he issued a walk to Wisdom, creating a one-out bases loaded situation before leaving the mound.
Kim Jae-yeol followed but could not stabilize the situation. He surrendered a two-run double to Choi Hyung-woo, a run-scoring hit to Kim Sun-bin, and a three-run home run to Han Jun-soo. In just the 8th inning, they conceded eight runs, and the runners Jeon Sa-min left on base turned into game-winning runs, resulting in 2/3 of an inning pitched, two hits, two walks, and four earned runs, making him the losing pitcher. It was a shocking 2-8 turnaround loss. Lee Ho-jun explained, "Originally, I planned to pitch Kim Tae-kyung for two innings until the 8th. We were planning to go for two innings after getting two outs, but the number of pitches increased. I also considered using left-handed pitcher Kim Tae-hyun against left-handed batters,” reflecting on his thought process. He added, "Jeon Sa-min was very nervous. Until last year, he went in as a chase pitcher. With a one-run margin against KIA's lineup, followed by the 9th, 1st, and 2nd hitters, he felt the pressure. If he had pitched well, it might have gone smoothly."
However, Lee Ho-jun did not let the experience of failure hold him back. On the 23rd, NC targeted KIA's native ace Yang Hyun-jong, taking a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the 8th. Once again, Lee's choice was Jeon Sa-min. This time, Jeon was different. He struck out leadoff batter Wisdom with a combination of two-seam fastball, curveball, and slider in three pitches. He remained unperturbed against Choi Hyung-woo, and though it went to a full-count battle, he utilized his forkball as the deciding pitch to get a swinging strikeout. Kim Sun-bin was retired on one pitch, collecting a clean inning and recording his first hold.
Lee Ho-jun, who had many concerns about the pitching staff, decided to actively use young pitchers who, despite lacking experience, are currently in good condition and have strong stuff. Ultimately, he managed to secure a victory with the boldness and fearlessness of a rookie manager. Starter Riley pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned), before Kim Min-kyu (1 inning, no runs), Kim Tae-hyun (1/3 inning, no runs), and Son Joo-hwan (1/3 inning, no runs) took care of things in front of Jeon Sa-min. All four pitchers recorded their first holds in their debuts. It was the first time in the KBO League that four players recorded their debut holds in a single game.
NC's strength is not complete. However, they played an even game against last year's champion KIA with this strength. Lee Ho-jun achieved victory while gaining valuable growth and experience for young pitchers through his bold utilization. And for the time being, Lee Ho-jun's daring and experimental usage will continue.
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