Ko Woo-seok, Finally Reveals His True Feelings: "Reduction of Penalty for Foreign Substance Incident More Meaningful Than MLB Debut"

*This content was translated by AI.

Ko Woo-seok (28, LG Twins) extended his right hand as if he had been waiting to finally express his long-held grievances from his time in the minor leagues. Last July, Ko Woo-seok spoke out about the incident, calmly but firmly revealing the behind-the-scenes story of the 'foreign substance controversy'.

On the 4th, during a home game against the Samsung Lions at Jamsil Baseball Stadium located in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Ko Woo-seok appeared in the top of the 9th inning with his team leading 4-3 and held the opposing batters scoreless for one inning to secure the victory. This was his first save since September 19, 2023, against Gwangju KIA — a span of 1,081 days — and marked his 140th career save.

After the game, when meeting with reporters, Ko Woo-seok said, "I'm glad the result turned out well. I didn't even imagine we'd be in such a difficult one-run situation right after my return, but it happened exactly like that." He added, "It wasn't because I pitched so well, but thanks to the fielders who handled the game well beforehand, this opportunity came my way."

In the top of the 9th inning, Ko Woo-seok gave up a straight walk to leadoff batter Lewin Diaz. After pitching coach Kim Kwang-sam and catcher Park Dong-won approached the mound, he switched his primary pitch from cutter (slider) to explain how he retired Yang Woo-hyun, Ryu Ji-hyuk, and Kang Min-ho in order. He stated, "After the first batter, the coach came up and suggested changing my pitch selection, which was exactly what I had in mind. By adjusting my fingertip feel with the cutter, I was able to regain the trajectory of my four-seam fastball."

As the interview about the game concluded, the topic naturally shifted to the 'new glove' he brought up. Ko Woo-seok had been scheduled to make a relief appearance for the Triple-A Saint Paul Saints, a Minnesota Twins affiliate, on July 26 (Korean time), but was ejected and suspended for 10 games after failing a foreign substance inspection on his glove.

Even immediately after being ejected, Ko Woo-seok did not hide his sense of injustice. Through social media, he strongly asserted his innocence: "I've been using this glove since early this year; sweat and rosin had simply stuck to the leather and hardened. I have never used any illegal substances on this glove, which I've used in every game since the WBC (World Baseball Classic)." However, until he served his suspension and returned to Korea, he had no opportunity to speak more directly about the incident.

Ko Woo-seok showed his glove directly, explaining, "Usually, when a foreign substance is detected, officials check if there's stickiness on the pitcher's hand and then search for where it might be hidden, such as inside the glove." He continued, "But nothing came out from my hands. Still, they saw something stuck to the leather near the glove opening and called it 'sticky stuff' (as Ko Woo-seok described it), leading to my ejection and suspension."

Rather than giving in to his sense of injustice, he immediately chose to fight back head-on. Through his agency and the players' union, he formally appealed to the Major League Baseball office. Ultimately, his 10-game suspension was reduced by two games to eight. This marks the first time in history that a pitcher has successfully appealed and had their penalty reduced following MLB's significantly tightened foreign substance crackdowns.

Escaping what could have been a lifelong stigma of 'illegal pitching' brought him comfort beyond measure. Ko Woo-seok said, "Among my teammates, some who appealed had their appeals rejected; no one had ever had their suspension reduced." He added, "The joy I felt when my penalty was reduced was even more meaningful than my MLB debut. Honestly, I never even considered making it to the majors." This was because he proved 'fairness', which he had emphasized on social media as the core of his baseball career and most important value.

After enduring a difficult period in the United States and emerging from the tunnel of unjust accusation, Ko Woo-seok returned to the mound at his original team. With a save in his comeback game after trailing by one run, he finally shed the emotional burden on his shoulders, and his gaze is now once again fixed on LG's autumn aspirations.

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*This content was translated by AI.