'Hanwha 1st Division Pitcher to Lotte' — Japanese Powerhouse Criticizes Harshly: "If This Continues, All Korean Pitchers Will Be Ruined" — KBO's 'Targeted Overuse'

*This content was translated by AI.

Satoru Kanemura (50), who joined Lotte Giants as their 'Pitching Coordinator' after finishing his coaching career with the Hanshin Tigers of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), delivered a scathing critique of the KBO League's pitcher development and operational system.

On the 10th, the Japanese media outlet 'THE ANSWER' published an interview with Kanemura, detailing the problems he has identified in Korean baseball and proposing solutions. Through this interview, Kanemura diagnosed two major chronic issues in the KBO mound: 'pitching form that relies on power' and 'harsh pitcher usage.'

While Kanemura highly praised the overwhelming physicality and potential of Korean pitchers, he pointed out the qualitative gap in pitch quality. He stated coldly, "There are many pitchers who throw fast, but the quality differs from Japan. They lack what is known as 'ball finish'." He identified the cause as the arm swing trajectory. Japanese pitchers are trained to drag their release point as far forward as possible, releasing the ball close to the batter. In contrast, he analyzed that Korean pitchers are closer to the American style of throwing with power, causing their arms to move away from their faces.

Kanemura noted, "When the arm moves away from the body, the form becomes more unstable. This is why there are many pitchers who throw fast but have slow vertical movement." He added, "They all have good physiques and potential, but it is truly regrettable that they cannot translate this into quality pitches." As a solution, he advocated for the 'Four-Stance Theory,' a customized form based on physical characteristics that has been his coaching philosophy since his time with Hanshin, and emphasized that coaches must abandon the old method of unilaterally imposing their own pitching form.

A more serious issue is the pitcher usage system unique to the KBO League. Kanemura warned, "With the current five-man starting rotation system (4–5 days of rest before appearance), the starting pitchers tire quickly and must be replaced by the 5th or 6th inning. This inevitably leads to increased bullpen usage, resulting in long relievers who are overworked, throwing as many as 80 games a year. Pitchers cannot endure this."

He also criticized the practice of assigning multi-inning duties to relief pitchers who have entered the game specifically to prevent inherited runners from scoring in high-pressure situations. He stated, "Three outs constitute one inning. Once the inning is exceeded, it is already equivalent to throwing two innings," emphasizing the importance of managing fatigue.

What he actively proposed to the club is a 'six-man starting rotation.' This would guarantee each starting pitcher one appearance per week (six days of rest) and have them take responsibility for long innings of around 120 pitches. The calculation is that the sixth starting pitcher spot would serve as a 'stage for challenge' for young pitchers, naturally facilitating generational turnover.

Kanemura raised his voice, stating, "You cannot develop a player without letting them pitch on the first division stage. There are no lack of pitchers in Korea; they simply do not grow due to lack of opportunity." He added, "Road games where they do not pitch should not require them to travel; they should be allowed to rest and recover. The key is to always utilize pitchers who are at 100% physically."

Through this interview, Kanemura revealed that he came to Korea with the resolve that 'Lotte is the last team.' As a top-tier NPB coach who led the mound as a pitching coach for Hanshin from the 2016 season through the 2022 season and the 2025 season, attention is now focused on what impact his cool-headed diagnosis will have on the KBO League and the Lotte mound.

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

*This content was translated by AI.