"Would they perform better if we changed them?" The manager's firm resolve ultimately proved to be a 'divine move'... Will the 'closer plus closer' setup become an impassable wall of tears?

*This content was translated by AI.

It is no exaggeration to say that the Doosan Bears currently have two pitchers capable of serving as closers. This season, Lee Young-ha (29) has taken on the closer role, while Kim Taek-yeon (21), who served as Doosan's closer until last season, is ready to step in.

In fact, the season began with Kim Taek-yeon. However, when Kim suffered a shoulder injury in late April, a vacancy emerged at the closer position. The manager chose Lee Young-ha. In retrospect, this decision appears to have been a 'divine move.'

This season, he has appeared in 39 games with a record of 5 wins, 3 losses, and 16 saves, posting an ERA of 3.61. Over a total of 47⅓ innings, he has allowed 36 hits (including 3 home runs), issued 23 walks, recorded 58 strikeouts, and surrendered 19 earned runs. His WHIP stands at 1.25, and his batting average against is 0.205.

Lee Young-ha's start to this season was not favorable. On April 15, he made his first appearance of the season against SSG Landers, pitching 3 innings while allowing 5 hits, issuing 3 walks, striking out 7 batters, and giving up 3 earned runs, ultimately taking the loss. This was both his first and only start as a pitcher this season. Following that, on April 21, he made his first relief appearance of the season, securing a win, and has since maintained strong performance throughout the rest of the campaign.

Kim Taek-yeon returned to action on June 10 against Lotte Giants after completing his rehabilitation period. However, despite Kim's return, Manager Kim did not replace him as the closer. Instead of handing Lee Young-ha the ninth inning, he assigned Kim Taek-yeon to pitch in front of him as a fireman.

Kim Taek-yeon has also effectively fulfilled his assigned role. As of this season, he has appeared in 29 games with a record of 1 win, 2 losses, 3 saves, and 7 holds, posting an ERA of 2.59. Over 31⅓ innings, he has allowed 22 hits (including 4 home runs), issued 17 walks, recorded 38 strikeouts, and surrendered 9 earned runs. His WHIP is 1.24, and his batting average against is 0.193. Notably, in his last 10 games, he has gone 1-0 with 4 holds and an ERA of 0.84, delivering virtually untouchable pitching.

Ultimately, Manager Kim Won-hyung's firm resolve and strategic deployment have proven perfectly effective in placing resources exactly where they are needed.

Why has the manager not made any changes to the closer configuration despite Kim Taek-yeon's recent strong performances? When asked about changing the closer, Manager Kim responded, "Our firemen are currently rotating smoothly in order. Even if we were to change them... would they perform better?"

He further explained, "When (Kim) Taek-yeon returned, I set certain standards for myself. Ideally, I want (Lee) Young-ha to continue performing at this level until the end. However, if he experiences any fluctuations, we would have no choice but to move Taek-yeon back into the closer role. But Young-ha has continued to perform well. Additionally, Taek-yeon has been delivering excellent pitches in both the seventh and eighth innings."

Recently, Lee Young-ha has showcased a fastball clocking in the mid-150 km/h range. Manager Kim stated, "Since moving him to the closer role, his velocity appears to have increased by about 2 km/h compared to last year. When pitching as a closer, adrenaline naturally surges, doesn't it? This allows pitchers to throw harder without even realizing it. It seems that being a closer enables them to deliver stronger pitches. Of course, he has also put in significant effort, which is why he has demonstrated excellent form this season," while giving him a thumbs-up.

Doosan will now face Hanwha Eagles in a midweek three-game series after the 'heatwave break,' followed by a weekend matchup against KIA Tigers in Gwangju. Can Doosan, currently riding a rising momentum in the second half of the season, maintain this positive trend? At the heart of their success stands an impassable wall formed by Kim Taek-yeon and Lee Young-ha.

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*This content was translated by AI.