I put my arms up to live! 'KBO's representative submarine' Park Jong-hoon's transformation → Dreaming up to 150km, "Baseball has become more precious."

*This content was translated by AI.

SSG Landers' "submarine pitcher" Park Jong-hoon (35) is attempting to change his pitching form. It is not completely throwing away the underhand, but it is more like an anomalous pitch thrown by mixing the overhand that raises the arm angle completely. It is a struggle to cope with the environment that is disadvantageous to 'submarine pitchers' due to the introduction of ABS (automatic pitching judgment system).

A video posted by Park Jong-hoon on his SNS on December 30 last year became a hot topic in the baseball community. It was Park Jong-hoon, who has even played for the national team with "underhand," throwing overhand. Park Jong-hoon, who recently contacted Star News, said, "I'm going to continue working out here and join the spring camp in Florida." I don't know if it's a first-team camp or a second-tier camp yet, but I'm going to coordinate it after the list comes out," he said.

In fact, Park Jong-hoon was such a compliant pitcher that he was often selected for the national team. He was also selected for the national team, including the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and the 2019 Premier 12, and achieved an average of more than 10 wins in the season from 2017 to 2020. However, he fell into a strange slump from the 2022 to 2024 season. The coaching staff's evaluation was good because they prepared hard for the 2025 season, but unfortunately, Park Jong-hoon only played in five games in the first team.

Now Park Jong-hoon has decided to raise his arm ahead of the 2026 season. I also tested it occasionally in the Futures League (second division) last season, but I decided to borrow the power of a professional academy. In fact, the bad luck of elbow ligament joint surgery overlapped and ABS, which is considered unfavorable to underhand, was introduced, so he decided to settle overhand for survival. Park Jong-hoon said, "I think I'll throw about 70% of the existing under and 30% of the over. Throwing over is the speed limit of 89.6 miles per hour (about 144 kilometers) and the target is 93 miles (about 150 kilometers). Under said, "It's 83.5 miles (about 134.4 kilometers) and I'm going to go up to 90 miles (about 145 kilometers)."

Park Jong-hoon, who came to the tread at the recommendation of SSG coach Steve Hong, said, "I'm working out in the U.S. with various players in my eyes. Even if you are not a baseball player, some people throw the ball purely because they like baseball, and some people come because they love baseball even though they are 45 years old. As a result, I wanted to play baseball for a long time in good physical and mental health, and I think my affection for baseball has grown more here."

Japanese players, who are famous to domestic fans, are also working out with Park Jong-hoon. Not only Senga Kodaly (33), a right-hander for the New York Mets, but also Atsuki Taneichi (28), who joined the Japanese national team at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, are the main characters. On top of that, Shota Takeda (33), a former member of the Japanese national team who will wear the SSG uniform from the 2026 season, and Yugo Maeda (21), a young left-hander for the Softbank Hawks, are working at the same center as Park Jong-hoon.

Park Jong-hoon said, "I think baseball has become more valuable because I see various people here. The world was wide and there were many great people. There were too many people full of baseball passion. I think I'll come even after I quit baseball. He is a pitching coach, but there were people who could reach 100 miles (about 160 kilometers). I like baseball more because I came here and worked out. I want to thank Coach Steve Hong again for recommending such a place," he stressed.

I also have a new goal. It is Noh Kyung-eun (42), a senior member of the team. Noh Kyung-eun, who was the hold king with 35 holds in the 2025 season, is enjoying her heyday to the Saipan camp to prepare for the WBC in March. Park Jong-hoon said, "Seeing passionate people, (Roh) Kyung-eun wants to be a player like this. "I want to throw like Noh Kyung-eun as a baseball player as well as personally," he said.

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*This content was translated by AI.