Yang Hyun-jong (35-KIA Tigers) jumped into sole possession of second place on the KBO’s all-time wins list with 162. Jung Min-cheol (51), who slipped to third place, thanked them and called for more juniors to step up.
Yang Hyun-jong and Kim Kwang-hyun (35-SSG Landers), who has 152 wins, are big pitchers who have carried Korean baseball for more than 15 years.
It’s a different story for right-handed pitchers, however, with few players able to come close to the record of Jeong Min-chul (161 wins), who ranks third all-time and first among right-handers.
Among the active players, Song Eun-beom (39-LG-88 wins) is clearly limited by age, while Choi Won-tae (26-KIUM-63 wins), Park Se-woong (28-LOTTE-55 wins), Ahn Woo-jin (24-KIUM), Won Tae-in (23-SAMSUNG-37 wins), and Choi Soo-joon (22-KT-33 wins) are the others.
These players are young and have a bright future, so they can certainly challenge Chung’s record. However, they will have to play consistently for the next decade or so.
“There was a famine of right-handed pitchers in the middle,” Chung told me earlier at Jamsil Stadium, “but recently, young pitchers like (Ahn) Woo-jin, (Kim) Dong-joo, and (Kwak) Bin have been coming up. I think that time will come sooner or later. I think they will be able to pitch without getting sick and without any major issues.”
The talent alone is enough. The important thing is to be able to show that talent for a long time. That’s why Yang Hyun-jong and Kim Kwang-hyun deserve more applause.
Chung, who has been more consistent than anyone else with double-digit wins in 10 of his 16 seasons, had some advice for the younger players.
“There are things you need to do in the future to challenge records or have a long run and do well, like Yang Hyun-jong,” he said. “Your personal life, 스포츠토토 your life after taking off your uniform, should be related to baseball to have a long career,” he said.
“I’ve seen people like Sun Dong-yeol and Song Jin-woo,” said Commissioner Jung Min-cheol, “They liked to drink in the past, but all their lives were very close to baseball. It’s hard to think of a time when they got into trouble.”
It’s not uncommon to see players end their careers prematurely due to controversial school violence histories, personal issues, or other problems. Some players are so talented that they take their clothes off because they can’t manage themselves.
“I think it’s just a matter of keeping your personal life private,” Jung said, emphasizing that “it’s important to have a rhythm to your life after you take off your uniform.”