The hidden leader of the 'opener craze', now dedicates himself to LG
The hidden leader of the 'opener craze', now dedicates himself to LG
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In 2018, the Tampa Bay Rays introduced the concept of "opener," which was unfamiliar at the time, leading the trend in the major leagues.카지노사이트
"Opener" refers to the first bullpen pitcher to take the mound and play one or two innings instead of a starting pitcher. In the absence of a clear starting pitcher, it was an anomalous operation to take the upper hand in the matchup with the opponent's top lineup from the beginning, and this has spread not only to Tampa Bay but also to the entire league.
This seemingly unsustainable strategy was successful thanks to someone doing something inclement. Yoni Chirinos, 31, was one of the players who did the job. He was also a starter, but sometimes he played as a long reliever, so-called "bulk inning guy," who pitched after the opener. In 2019, he pitched 133 1/3 innings, contributing to his team's advance to the postseason.
"Of course it was difficult. I've always been a starting pitcher, so it wasn't easy to change my pitching style."
Chirinos, who met at the LG Twins spring camp in Scottsdale, Arizona, recalled that time.
It was a difficult memory, but at the same time, it was the brightest time of his career so far. "In the big stage of Major League Baseball, you have to grab it when the opportunity comes. I was grateful for the opportunity. I always tried to do my best when I was on the mound," he continued.
Chirinos' career is facing a significant inflection point in 2020. He underwent Tommy John surgery to reconstruct his elbow ligament and took a full break until the 2021 season in the aftermath.
After returning to the Major League in 2022, he did not have many chances to play in the big leagues. He pitched in 28 games over the past three years, but posted a 5.31 ERA. He spent most of his 2024 season with Triple-A for the Miami Marlins. He pitched in 1,10 2/3 innings in 21 Triple-A games, posting 10-6 record with a 3.66 ERA.
He said, "It is difficult to fully recover my physical condition before surgery," but added, "I have studied many methods and trained a lot to raise my physical condition to the same level as before or similar. Now I am in really good condition. I am always training to draw myself better in the future than in the present," expressing confidence in my physical condition.
He has already adapted to his new team. "Korea's spring camp seems to have a bit more energy and positive atmosphere compared to the U.S.," he said, expressing satisfaction with the culture of the Korean baseball team's spring camp.
In particular, Park said, "I have a lot of fun teammates. I have a lot of teammates who have good personalities with me. I am getting along with my chemistry. I was able to adapt faster than I thought," he said, signaling that he is adapting easily thanks to his teammates.
New colleague Eliser Hernandez is not close, but the fact that he is from the same Venezuela is a great help. "Just having him is psychologically helpful," Chirinos explained.
Calling the KBO League "one of the world's leading competitive leagues," he said, "I wanted to have a different experience in my career," expressing expectations for a new experience.
He will try to mark a new turning point in his career in this competitive league, and LG, a competitive team.
The most important thing is to do his job consistently. "I hope I can stay healthy and win more than 120 innings or 10 games," he said, talking about what he hopes for the 2025 season.
He said, "The best part of the video was that there were fans filling the stadium. If I can pitch in such an atmosphere, I will be able to get energy along with the overflowing adrenaline. I hope the season will start soon and have a good time with the fans," he said in a greeting to the fans.