*This content was translated by AI.
Softbank Hawks right-hander Kazuki Sugiyama (29), who won the NPB Pacific League Save King last season, caused a major negative blow to the team for his failure to beat him.
According to multiple media outlets such as Tokyo Sports in Japan, Softbank announced on the 12th that Sugiyama was removed from the first-team entry. The reason for the cancellation was that he fractured his finger while venting his anger.
Sugiyama punched the bench immediately after the Nippon Ham Fighters match at Econ Field on the previous day (11th). In the process, he suffered a fracture in his left hand. Sugiyama, who took the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning with a 6-2 lead, allowed six hits, one walk, and one run in one inning. The four-point lead ended with a three-point difference, but it is interpreted that he was not satisfied with his pitching.
Sugiyama, who showed outstanding performance with 31 saves and a 1.82 ERA in 65 games last season, is somewhat sluggish this season. He pitched in the previous seven games and made four saves, but he has made an unstable move with an ERA of 9.00. The hit rate is not good at 0.321, and the on-base allowance per inning (WHIP), an indicator of pitcher stability, is also 2.00. It seems that the stress accumulated by the turbulence eventually exploded in the wrong direction. Even if it is a fracture of the left hand, not the right hand pitching, it is expected that it will take a considerable amount of time for rehabilitation and return as it is impossible to wear gloves.
Softbank coach Hiroki Kokubo (54) could not hide his sadness. Coach Kokubo blamed himself, "It's my responsibility as a coach who failed to prevent it even though it was predictable to some extent," but showed a firm attitude toward the player.
According to Tokyo Sports, Kokubo refused to listen to the staff's report of Sugiyama's injury and drew the line, saying, "There is no need to bring him." In an interview with reporters, he said, "It is a moment when trust (in the player) is broken. I understand the difficulty of finishing the job, but failing to control your instincts with reason is an act of losing the trust of your colleagues, he said. "Now we have to start all over again."
Softbank, which was ranked first by 2.5 games from second place in the Pacific League at the beginning of the season, faced a situation where the closer left for absurd reasons. Coach Kokubo said, "As in the last season, I will use pitchers every day according to the situation. He declared a group finishing system, saying, "We will reconsider the management of the pitching staff with the remaining members," but it is clear that it is a bad news.
This incident reminds me of the absurd injury in the KBO league in the past. Korean baseball fans are reminded of Yoon Seok-min (40), a former member of the KIA Tigers. Yoon Seok-min started against the SK Wyverns (currently SSG Landers) on June 18, 2010, allowed three runs (two earned runs) in eight ⅓ innings, and suffered a finger fracture while venting his anger at the locker room when his team was reversed. In the 2012 season, current SSG second-tier coach Bong Jung-geun (46) also suffered a fracture by hitting a fire hydrant in anger after making his first Blon save of the season when he was finishing for the LG Twins.
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*This content was translated by AI.
