For right-handed pitcher Shin Min-hyuk (24-NC Dinos), fall is far from over.
This year’s Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) Korean Series trophy was won by the LG Twins, and the weather has turned cold enough that it’s time to break out the winter clothes.
Shin Min-hyuk was a last-minute addition to the Dinos’ roster for the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), which will be held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan from Nov. 16-19.
The weather in Tokyo on the 14th was a perfect fall day with a high of 16 degrees.
Shin’s dramatic extension of his fall baseball life is due to his stellar performance in this year’s Postseason (PS).
With three-time Cy Young Award winner Eric Peddy sidelined with injury and inconsistency, Shin pitched 16 1/3 innings in three PS games, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks.
In his PS debut, he shut out the SSG Landers in Game 1 of the semifinals, and in Game 2 of the playoffs (PO) against KT Wiz, where he earned his first career start, to lead the team to victory.
His last start, Game 5 of the PO against KT, was a disappointing loss, but Shin Min-hyuk’s pitching performance wasn’t too bad, with three hits and two walks in 4⅓ innings.
Noticing this, national baseball team manager Ryu Jung-il called Shin Min-hyuk to the national team training ground five days after NC was eliminated from the PS.
The APBC team departed the country through Gimpo Airport and arrived in Tokyo, Japan, earlier in the day.
“I didn’t expect to be on the roster,” said Shin Min-hyuk, who expressed his ambition to pitch well to help the team and grow to the next level since it was his first time playing for the national team.
“I played fall baseball, so I don’t have any difficulty with the game,” he said, adding, “Just as I learned a lot about baseball through the postseason, I hope to do well in the national team by maintaining what I’ve been doing.”
Shin Min-hyuk has changed his pitching preparation posture by imitating Pedi, who has dominated the KBO this season.
Before pitching, he clasped his hands together in front of his face and shifted his center of gravity forward for a more stable pitch.
“I asked Pedi a lot, and he taught me a lot about changeups,” said Shin Min-hyuk, adding, “I’m almost finished with my preparation, but I still need to work on my stepping foot.”
When asked about the nickname ‘Little Pedi’ given to him by fans, he replied, “Like Pedi, the best pitcher in the KBO, I want to do better next year.” 토토사이트