*This content was translated by AI.
laugh five innings per inning. Although there is a calculation that can play more than 150 innings every year, it was difficult for Koo Chang-mo (29, NC Dinos) to fill 100 innings over the past five years. There is no doubt about skill. There is only one question mark on Koo Chang-mo this season, only health.
Koo Chang-mo met with reporters ahead of NC's departure from Arizona Spring Camp in the U.S. through Incheon International Airport on the 24th and said, "It's been a long time since I participated in the team camp," adding, "(The last time) was only two or three years ago, but the atmosphere seems to be very different from then. I have a different sense of responsibility," he said.
NC will set up camp in Tucson, Arizona, from the 24th to the 5th and hold off-season training. To Koo Chang-mo, being able to build a body in a warm climate is more than anyone else's welcome.
Koo Chang-mo, who joined NC as the third overall pick in the second first round in the 2015 rookie draft, steadily had a chance to select, won double digits for the first time in 2019, and played only 17 games due to injury in 2020, but recorded an ERA of 1.74.
Whenever he took the mound, he pitched a luxury pitch. The problem was only one injury. He skipped the entire 2021 season and returned in 2022 to win 11 games, but since then, his injury has come back and he returned last year after leaving for the Armed Forces Sports Unit (Sangju) to solve the military service problem.
Even after being discharged from the military, his return was later than expected. It was comforting to make an impressive pitch at the end of the season and in the wild card game. Koo Chang-mo also said, "If I had prepared for this season without any results, I would have been very curious and worried, but I think I showed a good performance at the end of last year, so I'm looking forward to it."
No one doubts 'healthy Koo Chang-mo'. After the 2022 season, the club's expectations are different as it signed an ultra-large non-FA multi-year contract of up to 13.2 billion won for 6+1 years early. There is a sense of duty to play a healthier season.
As one of them, I came up with the idea of "inning restrictions." Earlier, head coach Lee Ho-joon presented the inning data where Koo Chang-mo was injured well to head coach Lee Ho-joon. He said he would rest once after 40 innings and again after 80 innings to prevent injuries in advance. Coach Lee Ho-joon was also thinking about how to give Koo Chang-mo a break during the season, but he suggested a way himself.
Koo Chang-mo said, "I've been thinking and researching a lot since I've had a lot of injuries, and I felt like I was getting a signal from my body when I got to this point," adding, "I talked about how it would be to manage it like this, and the coach asked me first, but he listened carefully, so I think I'll be able to prepare for the season more comfortably."
It must now be accepted as a reality that people are more easily exposed to injuries than others. There is no better way for the team to prevent injury by taking a break when it is appropriate, even at the expense of a brief loss.
It's a sickening injury. Koo Chang-mo also changed his mind now. "I always managed it after (the pain) came. I think the most important thing is to recover quickly and prepare if there's anything at all now, he said. "I think I'll pay the most attention to that part. "I think if we prepare in advance before the big anger comes, take action quickly, and communicate a lot with the coach, coach, and training part, we will be closer to the full-time we aimed for this season," he stressed.
It is a determination that this season must be different. Since November, he has started weight training under the guidance of team trainers and systematically trained to improve his physical condition. Koo Chang-mo expressed confidence, saying, "The face is so good," adding, "On the contrary, it's so high that I'm even thinking about dropping it once."
Now, he must play the role of a veteran, both in skill and career. "There weren't many seniors. As there are more juniors, I think we should show more exemplary behavior. I feel more responsible. My juniors are watching every single one of my actions, he said. "I've grown up watching a lot of my older brothers' actions, and there will be juniors who will learn from me. I feel a lot of responsibility in that regard," he said.
You have to be healthy for this. The goal is to play the season without injury. Koo Chang-mo said, "Regular innings are good, but full-time is a bigger goal. "The most important thing is how long you continue to be with the team rather than innings," he said. "I'm going to focus on that and try to do it this year. I've had so many failures that I'm going to try it with confidence now," he said.
I dream of recreating 2020. "My goal this year is to be together from the beginning and win first place," he said, adding, "I will also prepare well to reproduce the 2020 championship once again."
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*This content was translated by AI.
