*This content was translated by AI.
Right-hander Lee Tae-yang (36), who moved from the Hanwha Eagles to the KIA Tigers ahead of this season, took the road to Daejeon in a good mood after protecting his team's victory with a perfect pitch. He expressed his desire to say hello to Hanwha fans if he had a chance. At the same time, he revealed the humility that the evaluation of good performance should be done after throwing well until August.
Lee Tae-yang took the mound in the top of the sixth inning with a 12-5 lead in the second game of the season against the Samsung Lions at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 8th, blocking three innings with one hit and no runs. As a result, Lee Tae-yang proved to be the 'key card' of the KIA bullpen by lowering the ERA of the season from 3.00 to 1.50.
Lee Tae-yang's pitch on the day was a commitment itself. Initially, he was likely to play two innings, but he voluntarily took charge of three innings to minimize bullpen consumption. Lee Tae-yang, who met with Star News on the 9th, said, "I saw a lot of must-win pitchers throwing the previous day while preparing in the bullpen," and reflected on the game, "I thought it would be the best if I dragged 3 innings, and the result was that I prepared well with the mindset that I should repay the team as much as they needed."
Now, Lee Tae-yang's eyes are on Daejeon, the "land of promise." Wearing a KIA uniform through the second draft held after the end of the 2025 season, he will visit his home team for the first time to face off in the regular league. I visited Daejeon earlier during the exhibition game, but this is the first time I have visited the regular season where the win or loss is at stake.
Lee Tae-yang, who is about to go on the away road on the 9th, said, "I'm used to it because it's a match I've been going to every day, but I'm also excited because I'm officially going (as a member of the away team) after the transfer," adding, "I hope I can greet Hanwha fans if I have a chance to stand on the mound."
Lee Tae-yang was not excited, although she was showing a good performance at the beginning of the season. Rather, he drew the line, calling it "premature." Despite Star News' criticism that detailed indicators and grades are good, he said, "There are still few samples. It's only the beginning of April. I still have to do it for another six months, he said. "I don't care about that, I just do my best every day."
Lee Tae-yang then smiled, saying, "I don't think I can talk about my grades until about August," and then said, "If I throw well by August, I will talk with my own mouth then."
KIA gained a thousand troops named Lee Tae-yang at a time when it desperately needed a pitcher to eat the inning between the starter and the bullpen. Coach Lee Bum-ho (45) expressed his intention to use Lee Tae-yang as a long relief along with Hwang Dong-ha (24). Fans are anticipating whether he, who is reborn as a "jackpot transfer student," will continue his momentum on the mound of his former team Daejeon.
<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>
*This content was translated by AI.
