First starter appearance since debut. Against the team he belonged to just a few weeks ago.
Kiwoom Heroes right-hander 꽁머니지급 Kim Dong-gyu finished his debut as a starting pitcher with regret. Kim Dong-gyu, who took the mound against the LG Twins in Jamsil on the 13th, recorded 4 hits (1 home run), 3 walks and 5 runs in 2 innings.
Kim Dong-gyu is a new pitcher who joined LG after receiving LG’s 2nd round overall 17th overall nomination in the 2023 rookie draft. However, during the trade between LG and Kiwoom, which was concluded on the 29th of last month, his uniform was changed. LG gave Kim Dong-gyu and Lee Joo-hyung and the 2024 rookie first round nominations to get Choi Won-tae as a starting resource.
Kim Dong-gyu had only one pitching experience in the first team before the transfer. In effect, he was registered in the first team once in early June in the form of a’major tour’, and went down again after recording ⅓ innings, 3 walks, 1 walk and 2 runs (1 earned). And he moved his team and got the opportunity to start the first team in his life.
LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop highly evaluated Kim Dong-gyu’s growth potential. Director Yeom said, “If you increase your physical strength a little, you are a potential pitcher. Looking at the future value, I thought Dong-gyu was a pitcher with the physical condition and talent to throw more than 150 km consistently,” he said.
From the standpoint of LG, who wants to win right away, it is a large prospect that was inevitably handed over as a counter-trade, but there was no disagreement that it was a good resource. Director Yeom Gyeong-yeop was optimistic, saying, “I had plans for Kim Dong-gyu in my own way, starting with this year’s finish camp, feeding him a lot and giving him weight training to build his physique. I thought it would be okay if I looked at him as a selection and raised him after 2-3 years.”
Kim Dong-gyu made his debut wearing a Heroes uniform in front of coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop and the LG team. However, it was difficult to get his first out count, probably because he was very nervous. On the mound in the bottom of the first inning, Kim Dong-gyu allowed first batter Hong Chang-ki to walk straight, then hit second batter Shin Min-jae on the first pitch. As Shin Min-jae stole second base, the chaotic situation continued.
And again, I walked to Kim Hyun-soo. Kim Dong-gyu, who gave up the first run with a wild throw at the bases loaded, exchanged his first out count and second run with Austin Dean’s sacrifice fly. After giving up two runs, he found stability again. As the LG batters hit with a fast count, Oh Ji-hwan and Moon Bo-gyeong were caught with outfield flies and blocked the first inning with two runs.
In the bottom of the second inning Kiwoom tied the score 2-2. Crisis came again. Leading batter Park Dong-won hit a left-handed solo home run and took the lead, and after that, he conceded additional runs with hits and wild throws. In particular, allowing runners 1st and 3rd bases, Shin Min-jae at bat, allowing double steals on 1st and 3rd bases at the same time was a complete misjudgment. Catcher Kim Dong-heon threw to second base, but it was not enough to stop the third base runner who was already running home.
Kim Dong-gyu, who gave up 5 runs until the 2nd inning, ended his first start like this. He had a lot of regrets, but it was an experience that he could promise the next time.