'Finally unveiling the veil': Samsung's army of thousands, Boss, takes flight today (26th) at Jamsil! Everyone is curious about 'ML 210G' Veteran's KBO debut.

*This content was translated by AI.

Samsung Lions, which is racing for sole first place in the KBO League, has welcomed another army of thousands and is finally unveiling its veil. The protagonist is none other than Austin Boss (34), who joined as a new replacement foreign pitcher.

Boss will make his scheduled start on the afternoon of the 26th at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium in the away game against Doosan Bears for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

Recently, Samsung moved quickly to fill the void left by Harada, who was diagnosed with a right shoulder fascia injury and infraspinatus inflammation, requiring at least six weeks before returning. As a result, it successfully signed 'Veteran' Boss, who has experience in both Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), for a total of 150,000 dollars (approximately 220 million won) over six weeks.

After arriving in the country on the 19th, Boss completed bullpen sessions at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 23rd. According to Samsung club officials, he threw a total of 24 pitches that day. His fastball reached a top speed of 148 km/h, with an average velocity of 144 km/h. In addition, he mixed in two-seam fastballs, curves, changeups, sweepers, and cutters to check his condition.

When meeting reporters at Jamsil Stadium on the 24th, Boss cited Eric Fedde (Chicago White Sox), with whom he had a close relationship while playing for the same team in the past, as the decisive factor in choosing to come to Korea. Fedde dominated the KBO League stage with 20 wins and 200 strikeouts for NC Dinos in 2023 before returning to the U.S.

Boss said, "I heard a lot about the KBO League when I was on the same team as Fedde in the U.S." and added, "Fedde told me how much fun he had playing baseball in Korea and what great experiences he had. That advice was one of the decisive reasons that led me to decide to come to Korea."

Regarding his reason for choosing Samsung, Boss said, "During negotiations, I heard that Samsung was leading the KBO League in first place, and that really resonated with me. It is a very meaningful thing for a player to win baseball with such a team and contribute to the team's championship," expressing his expectations.

Boss boasts an impressive career. He has appeared in 210 MLB games (39 starts), recording 17 wins, 20 losses, 27 holds, an ERA of 4.84, and 346 strikeouts.

In addition, Boss already has the advantage of having experienced Asian baseball. Last year, he worked as a full-time starter in the rotation for Chiba Lotte Marines in the NPB. He appeared in 22 games, pitching 125 innings with 3 wins, 9 losses, and an ERA of 3.96. Although his win total was low due to unfavorable luck, he proved his adaptability on the Asian baseball stage by posting a sub-3-point ERA and a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.25 against difficult Japanese batters.

Samsung manager Park Jin-man also did not hide his expectations for Boss. Manager Park stated, "His experience of working full-time for a year in Japan and facing Asian batters will greatly help him adapt to the KBO League." He added, "In his first appearance on the 26th, we plan to have him throw around 80 to 90 pitches, similar to Fedde. He is a pitcher with a calm temperament, so expectations are high."

Boss said, "Korea is definitely hot, but I am already familiar with it since I experienced similar weather in Japan," and added, "I have already adapted to the cheering culture of Asia, which is different from the U.S., as well as small-ball baseball. These experiences will greatly help me settle in quickly in the KBO League," showing confidence.

Samsung previously had great success with new foreign pitcher Chris Fedde, who secured back-to-back starting wins by pitching brilliantly in his KBO debut (6 innings scoreless) and his second appearance on the 24th (6 innings, 2 earned runs). Now, if Boss also lands quickly in the KBO League following Fedde, it could not be a better scenario for Samsung. This would allow them to solidify their dominant position in the second half after the first half, leaving behind the setback of Harada's injury absence.

Boss said, "Everyone on the team welcomed me, so I feel at ease. In particular, it was great that Veteran catcher Kang Min-ho hugged and welcomed me as soon as he arrived. We had many conversations about what pitches I throw and what style I play." When asked about what he most wants to do in Korea outside of baseball, he said, "Since arriving in Korea, I have visited shopping malls. I also enjoy eating, so I look forward to finding new restaurants wherever we go."

Finally, he reaffirmed his resolve: "Although I joined mid-season, my goal is to lay the foundation for the team to win every game I start. My first priority is to record as many quality starts (6 or more innings with 3 or fewer earned runs) as possible and contribute to the team's victory."

Will Boss truly establish himself as the 'Boss' of Samsung's mound and meet the fans' expectations?

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*This content was translated by AI.