The first starter for the Hanwha Eagles this season is new foreign pitcher Birch Smith (33). Last year, he threw mostly middle relief pitches for the Seibu Lions of the Japanese professional baseball team. He wanted to become a starting pitcher, so he rejected the contract renewal offer and wore a Hanwha uniform. As is widely known, even though Seibu offered better conditions than Hanwha, he chose to go to Korea.
Smith said, “Personally, I prefer starting over midfielder.
In Seibu, he started as a starter and moved to the bullpen. I had an injury and my stamina dropped late in the game. He failed to establish himself as a starter and was active as a midfielder.
Anxiety still lingers.
“The past is just the past. Last year, I couldn’t participate in the spring camp from the beginning due to Corona 19 and joined in the middle. I think the injury came because of that part. I trained a lot to avoid getting injured in the offseason.”
On the 1st, we met Smith at the Kochi Stadium in Okinawa, Japan. “I can say with confidence that he can finish a season healthy and without injury,” he added.
Last year, Hanwha replaced two foreign pitchers at the beginning of the season. The team also fell to the bottom as the foreign ‘one-two punch’ withdrew. For this year’s ‘Leave Last’, a clear starter is needed.
Smith is a ‘core force’ that must not fail. 먹튀검증
He said, “I think there are more powerful hitters and aggressive players in the KBO league than in Japanese professional baseball.” There will be many advantages to experiencing Japanese professional baseball.
Samsung Lions foreign pitcher Albert Suarez (34). After playing in Japanese professional baseball, he succeeded in the KBO league. Smith said he got a lot of advice from his friend Suarez.
“My goal is to finish the race without getting hurt. I need to be healthy to help the team win.”
Smith said that the Hanhwa this season will be very different from before. He said, “There are many good veteran players and capable young players on our team. I am sure that the results will be different from last year.”