'If the players hadn't been pushed this far,' KBO's lack of communication sparks a series of firm statements from Park Min-woo to Oh Ji-hwan: 'Why exactly did this happen?'

*This content was translated by AI.

One might wonder how far they would have to be pushed to say something like this. Doubts from the field regarding the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system, introduced in the 2024 KBO League, continue unabated. Following Park Min-woo (33, NC Dinos), Oh Ji-hwan (36, LG Twins) also expressed his reservations about the current ABS system.

On the 29th, in a game against the KIA Tigers at Jamsil, Oh Ji-hwan led LG to a decisive 12-2 victory with four hits in four at-bats and four RBIs, including a go-ahead three-run home run. The home run hit off Lee Hyung-beom in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs and runners on first and third proved decisive. After the game, when meeting with reporters, Oh Ji-hwan reflected on the moment of the home run: "Lee Hyung-beom throws a lot of inside pitches. When I fouled off the first pitch, the timing felt later than I expected. I had a feeling he was going to throw that pitch, and I think I managed to hit it well by trying to swing a bit earlier."

Recently, LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop has been instructing batters to bring their hitting timing slightly earlier. The logic is that by trying to hit only the sure pitches, the timing becomes late, making it difficult to produce quality contact. That is true. However, the players also have their own difficulties. Oh Ji-hwan stated frankly, "From the manager's perspective, it must be frustrating. But since ABS was introduced, a pitch I thought was a ball has become a strike, which makes me anxious. Psychologically, I feel like I'm losing to the pitcher, and because I feel I need to watch more carefully and hit more cautiously, my timing gets late."

However, the players are not opposing the introduction of ABS or calling for a return to the old ways. They are simply urging that there are parts that need to be improved in reality. Oh Ji-hwan said, "We keep telling ourselves not to think about that, and since the system is like this, we try to hit well. But there are psychological impacts from that." He added, "Since it has been introduced one way or another, I don't want to judge what is right or wrong. However, from a batter's perspective, since it varies by stadium and by pitcher, there is a level of doubt regarding fairness. The very act of measuring it gives that feeling, and that is the situation we are describing."

KBO clubs also fully empathize with the players' difficulties. Already, the power analysis teams of KBO clubs do not trust ABS results. Most clubs compare and analyze data using three sources: TrackMan, ABS, and the coordinates visible on broadcast screens or with the naked eye. Clubs with the latest equipment, such as Hawk-Eye, including KIA Tigers, Samsung Lions, LG Twins, and Doosan Bears, also utilize Hawk-Eye.

A KBO club official explained, "It is clear that there are discrepancies in ABS depending on the stadium. The fact that ABS coordinates change daily also varies by stadium. Gocheok Dome is the most accurate with the smallest fluctuation. However, in some stadiums, coordinates fluctuate wildly from series to series, or even daily. If an outside pitch to a right-handed batter was well-located yesterday, today it might be more inside. We assume TrackMan coordinates are the actual coordinates and respond to ABS accordingly."

Oh Ji-hwan says that pitchers, not just batters, will also find it difficult. Oh Ji-hwan said, "There will be batters who hit outside pitches well, and others who hit inside pitches well. But if the strike zone is formed on the outside today, someone will have to accept that they cannot hit for extra bases that day." He added, "Has ABS introduction led to pitchers with better control? Rather, if pitches that pitchers thought were strikes become balls, won't it be even harder for them?"

The stress on players whose evaluations and salaries fluctuate with every at-bat is significant. A KBO club official said, "If ABS changes, it seriously affects the pitcher's results for the day. If the ball doesn't go to their preferred location or the direction where they have good control, the pre-game plan is completely thrown off. In fact, there have been foreign pitchers who were dismissed because they could not overcome this dilemma."

This is the reason veteran players, from Ryu Hyun-jin (39, Hanwha Eagles) two years ago, to Park Min-woo (33, NC Dinos) earlier this month, and now Oh Ji-hwan, have continued to make firm statements. The attitude of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), which shows no willingness to communicate, also plays a part. Even if the players' expressions during the statements were rough, the message they want to convey is the same. Just as they protested against unreasonable umpire calls in the past, the players are voicing their difficulties and seeking communication. And this is the same for club officials.

A KBO club official said, "For example, regarding the corner pitches mentioned in connection with ABS, the practitioners said they need to discuss it. Before ABS was introduced, the actual strike zone (when implemented with tracking data) was close to an oval shape. It was a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Since these are corners that batters have never hit in their lives, it is natural that they are difficult to hit."

He continued, "Even during the initial ABS introduction discussions, there were opinions that the strike zone shape should be like this. Technically, it is not difficult at all. It can be done even now. However, the discussion itself never took place. Everything surrounding the current KBO ABS is something the practitioners had already warned about. While the current issues raised about ABS are focused on the technical area, the core problem is that proper communication has not even taken place."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.