*This content was translated by AI.
Ichiro Tamura (32), the Doosan Bears' "bomb head" Asian quarter pitcher, showed off his sophisticated control at the Sydney Spring Camp in Australia.
Tamura is currently sweating with his new teammates at the Sydney camp in Australia, where Doosan's first camp is set up.
According to Doosan officials, Tamura entered Australia on the 23rd, a day before his arrival in the main camp.
Tamura then began his first bullpen pitching on the 28th after raising his physical condition well. Although the ball speed was not measured separately, both the players who watched and the coaching staff were impressed, saying, "Every ball you throw fits exactly in the strike zone."
Tamura talked with catcher Kim Ki-yeon for a long time after the pitch was over and listened carefully to feedback on his pitch. Kim Ki-yeon, who received his ball directly, praised it highly, saying, "If you face the meat, the ball came to you."
"I definitely felt that I controlled the ball well," pitching coach Jung Jae-hoon said. It is the stage of building up in time for the regular season. He said, "I ordered him to not overdo it, but rather to reduce his strength."
Tamura said, "I was excited to be able to throw my ball in front of a new team and new teammates for the first time, and it's a good day to finish pitching well."
"This time, I only played fastball and forkball. Pitcher coach Jung Jae-hoon focused on throwing lightly, saying, "Let's not overdo it and raise the pace." As it is just the beginning, I will raise my body step by step in time for the opening," he said.
Meanwhile, Tamura is a unique Asian quarter Japanese pitcher who Doosan signed in early December last year with a total investment of $200,000 (about KRW 300 million).
After the announcement of the recruitment, Doosan said of Tamura, "He has physical conditions of 173 centimeters in height and 80 kilograms in weight. He explained, "In 2016, I was the sixth pick by the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) Seibu Lions."
Tamura is a typical bullpen resource. Doosan is expected to play as a must-win team. In the Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB), Tamura pitched in a total of 150 games in nine seasons and played 182 ⅔ innings, marking 4 wins, 2 losses, 2 saves, 8 holds, and an ERA of 3.40.
In the 2025 season, he shot ERA 3.58 in 27 ⅔ innings in 20 NPB first team games. In addition, in the NPB's second division, he mainly served as a closing pitcher and pitched 17 innings in 16 games. This year's second-tier performance was seven saves and an ERA of 0.00.
Doosan conducted Tamura's tryouts during the closing camp held in Miyazaki, Japan, in November last year. Doosan said, "At that time, I received passing points in fastball command and ball pitching through bullpen pitching and live pitching."
"Tamura is a resource with a stable pitching balance centered on the lower body," a Doosan official said, adding, "His physical strength as a bullpen pitcher has been verified. He can play a variety of pitches, including fork balls, curves, and cutters, as well as fastballs up to 150 kilometers. He explained the background of the recruitment, saying, "I will be able to fully play the role of a must-win team."
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*This content was translated by AI.
