'21G 19SV' Ironclad Closer Son Ju-young's 'Elite Management': Coach Yeom Gal-liang "If I Feel Fatigue, I Rest for Two Days Unconditionally"

*This content was translated by AI.

21 games, 24⅔ innings, 1 win, no losses, 19 saves, ERA 1.09.

Although he was a pitcher who secured 11 wins as a starter last season, he suddenly transformed into a closer and has quickly established himself as the league's strongest closer.

With LG Twins' season-opening closer Yoo Young-chan sidelined for surgery due to injury early this season, the back door became vacant. Son Ju-young, who was undergoing rehabilitation, made a bold decision to accept Coach Yeom's proposal and is now sailing smoothly without a single failure.

His stability is so remarkable it seems unbelievable for a pitcher attempting relief closing duties for the first time. While LG leads the standings and thus offers frequent save opportunities, Son has been called upon in only about half as many games as Kim Jae-yoon of the Samsung Lions (39 games, 21 saves), who tops this category, yet he is aggressively closing the gap with just a two-save difference.

Except for his first game of the season, where he faced no pressure from a large deficit, and the victory against Kiwoom Heroes on May 24, he has recorded a save in every other appearance.

The success of 'closer Son Ju-young' is largely attributed to his exceptional talent, but behind it lies Coach Yeom Kyung-yeop's meticulous management.

There were four instances of pitching on consecutive days, but after each, he took sufficient rest. After adding back-to-back saves in games against Kiwoom on the 1st and 2, Son Ju-young is resting for the Hanwha Eagles games on the 3rd and 4.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the home game against Hanwha on the 3rd, Coach Yeom said, "He hasn't been a closer before. It's not just about pitching on consecutive days; when you pitch double innings and then follow up with another appearance, your condition inevitably drops slightly. However, to win, we have no choice but to use him. I calculated that his fatigue level would be low. I thought it might be moderate, but the fatigue he feels could be higher. If his fatigue is greater than our calculation, he will rest for two days unconditionally. He will rest today (the 3rd) and tomorrow (the 4th)."

The recent addition of reliever Yacel Lioza allows for even more comfortable rest periods. In nine games, Lioza has recorded one win, one loss, one save, five holds, an ERA of 3.75, a batting average against of 0.233, and a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of just 1.00.

However, Coach Yeom declared that Lioza would not appear in the the 3rd game alongside Son Ju-young, Woo Kang-hoon, and Kim Jin-su. There is no rush. The thinking is to send out whoever is ready for the closing situation. "Don't we have (Kim) Yoon-sik and (Lee) Woo-chan? We can go with them," he added.

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*This content was translated by AI.