It’s a remarkable commitment. There’s a reason for his unwavering faith.
There is a foreign pitcher with the honorary nickname of “Dong-won Choi,” despite the fact that he comes from a different family, team, and race. It’s William Cuevas of the KT Wiz. Fans call him “Koo Dong-won” (Cuevas + Choi Dong-won).
It’s a nickname for a pitcher with a big heart for his team. This is because he performed a miracle two years ago and led the team to the championship.
This year, he returned to the KBO after a year and a half as a substitute foreigner. Upon his return, he showed his true colors. In total, he started 18 games and pitched 114⅓ innings, going 12-0 with 100 strikeouts and a 2.60 ERA. He quickly became the best pitcher in the league.
His chemistry with KT manager Lee Kang-cheol is remarkable. Lee looks to Cuevas whenever he’s in trouble, and he’s been rewarded.
Cuevas returned to the KBO after a year-and-a-half absence as an emergency call-up during the offseason. He made an immediate impact. He started all 18 games and pitched 114 1/3 innings, going 12-0 with 100 strikeouts and a 2.60 ERA. He was an instant winner.
Cuevas was stronger in big games. Despite the presence of Benjamin and Young-pyo Ko, I picked Cuevas to start Game 1.
The first result was an embarrassment, as he gave up seven runs (four earned) on six hits, including a home run, in three innings in Game 1. His pitches weren’t bad, but his delivery was shaky. The veteran Hwang Jae-gyun also made an error and was unable to hold on.
However, the manager’s faith was not shaken. “I saw the pitch count (75 pitches) in the first inning and made an early change. I told him to get ready for Game 4 right away,” Lee explained. Cuevas immediately understood the coach’s instructions without further explanation.
NC manager Kang Myung-hwa also said that he “expected it.” However, Pedi, who faced Cuevas in the first game, threw 98 pitches, and there were concerns about his return from injury. In the end, he was unable to appear in the fourth game, and the victory and defeat of the fourth game were decided here.
On the other hand, the trust in ‘Kudongwon’ was immediately rewarded. He pitched a great game. It is the destiny of an ace to take charge of the team’s fate in the Korean Series and elimination.
Cuevas faced another Hwang Jae-gyun error in the top of the first inning when he walked the first batter he faced, Son As-seob, but this time it was different: He didn’t falter. He got Park Min-woo to fly out to center and Martin to strike out.
He continued his hitting streak against NC’s 17 batters until the bottom of the fifth inning. It was a 5⅔-inning no-hitter. The no-hitter was unfortunately broken when he gave up a single to Son As-seob, but he got Park Min-woo to fly out to center field to complete a one-hit, four-pitch shutout through the sixth inning. It wasn’t until the seventh inning that the KT bench brought in Son Dong-hyun to replace Cuevas.
KT fans remember Cuevas’ “miracle” in 2021. This is how he earned the nickname ‘Kudongwon’.
On October 28, Cuevas threw 108 pitches in the second game of a doubleheader against NC, and after just two days of rest, he started the first-place game against the Samsung Lions on October 31, throwing 99 pitches in seven innings with eight strikeouts and no runs.
It was the decisive game that led to KT’s first-ever unified championship, and the roar he emitted in the bottom of the seventh inning after he struck out the side with a 148-kilometer fastball was deeply etched in the hearts of KT fans. It was literally ‘1000%’ energy.
On the other hand, there are athletes who are called ‘run’, which is a disgrace. James Ronnie (formerly of the LG Twins) is a prime example. Then there’s Plunko (plunko + run). This is a pitcher who was ‘ejected’ this year after refusing to pitch against a doctor’s diagnosis and trusting only his doctor.
Adam Plutko is in his second season in the KBO this year. Last year, he performed well. He started 28 games, pitched 162 innings, and finished with a 15-5 record and a 2.39 ERA.
Something went wrong at the end of the season. After pitching at least five innings in 27 consecutive games in the regular season and never falling before the fifth inning, Plutko was unable to complete the first five innings of his final start on September 25 against the SSG Landers in Incheon after sudden back pain forced him off the mound after giving up an automatic high-five to the first batter.
Plutko then rehabbed, preparing only for Game 2 of the playoffs. He created his own schedule and when LG played a scrimmage against the KT Wiz second team during the break, the pitchers got to pitch live to get a feel for the game, but Plutko did not pitch live to prepare. The coaching staff offered him to pitch in the scrimmage, but when he said he wanted to pitch live, they respected his wishes.
They trusted Plutko. Plutko showed stability throughout the regular season and was even better against Kiwoom, going 2-1 with a 1.82 ERA. After winning Game 1, we were hoping for a second straight win with Plutko on the mound.
But a nightmare awaited. Plutko gave up two runs on two hits in the first inning. In the second, he couldn’t get out of the inning and gave up five runs on five hits. In particular, three consecutive hits after two outs made it 0-6. LG fought back, but ultimately lost 6-7, one run. After losing the momentum in Game 2, LG eventually dropped Games 3 and 4, punching their ticket to the Korean Series to Kiwoom.
Plutko, who re-signed this offseason, was an ace in the first half. In the first 17 games of the season, he went 11-1 with a 2.21 ERA. With Casey Kelly struggling in the first half, Plutko looked even better.
However, he struggled in the second half. In four starts, he went 2-2 with no wins and a 3.38 ERA. On top of that, he was unable to pitch for a while due to a cold and COVID-19, and took a long break on August 26 against Changwon NC due to a pelvic bone bruise.
LG manager Yoon Kyung-yeop later ordered Plutko to pitch after a checkup showed improvement. He needed to make sure his pitching was in good shape to pitch in the Korean Series. Plutko pitched out of the bullpen once, but hasn’t pitched since. He refused to pitch anymore after hearing from doctors in the United States. We tried to convince him with the results of the Korean doctors, but to no avail. Plutko trusted the American doctors more than the Korean ones, and as a player whose body is an asset, he was more concerned about his health than sacrificing it for the team. 카지노사이트
He should have started pitching at least a month before the Korean Series, but he missed the deadline. LG had no choice but to agree with Plutko and send him back to the United States early.
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