adminHanwha pitcher Moon Dong-ju (20) and KIA infielder Kim Do-young (20) have different positions, but they are lifelong rivals entangled in the first nomination. The two players, each of the same age from Jinheung High School and Dongseong High School in the same Gwangju region, competed for the first nomination in 2022 for the related team KIA. After deep consideration, KIA chose Kim Do-young, and Moon Dong-ju, who came out as the first national nomination, wore a Hanwha uniform.
Outside, the two players are described as rivals and constantly compared and evaluated. In particular, on the day Dong-ju Moon threw well, many stories come out about KIA’s first choice of nomination. Although the two players continue to be compared and evaluated since the first nomination, the parties are sharing a pure friendship like young friends of that age. 안전놀이터
On Media Day before the season, Kim Do-young said, “Last year, neither I nor Dong-ju showed anything. I want to compete in good faith at a high place by doing well in both.” Moon Dong-joo received a congratulatory message from Kim Do-young after winning his first win of the season on the 6th against Samsung in Daegu with a fastball of up to 159 km, 5 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts and no runs.
Moon Dong-joo said, “I talk to Do-yeong like normal friends. We said let’s do well together this year, but Doyoung got hurt” and said, “Doyoung contacted me first and said, ‘You threw well,’ so he said, ‘You should get well soon too.'”
Kim Do-young, who showed good pace in the demonstration game, played an active role in the opening two games of the Munhak SSG match on the 1st and 2nd with 4 hits in 8 at-bats, 1 RBI and 1 steal. He came home, scored, and was substituted.
As a result of the examination, pinning surgery was performed for a fracture of the left metatarsal bone (5th toe). A major injury that took 12 to 16 weeks to go to the game made it difficult to return until at least June. The matchup between Moon Dong-ju and Kim Do-young is also expected to take place after July.
Moon Dong-ju also spent two rehabilitation periods with a partial tear in the subscapular muscle in June following micro damage to the internal oblique muscle before last season. So he set his first goal this year not to get hurt. “I said my goal was not to get hurt before the season started,” he said. I am doing well now (without injury), but it is important to continue to achieve my goals until the end of the season.”
The coaching staff also strictly manages and protects the number of pitches and innings of Moon Dong-ju. Hanwha coach Carlos Subero, who replaced Moon Dong-ju with 70 pitches in 5 innings in the first appearance, said, “It is a management level. He doesn’t have to take a lot of pitches from the first appearance of the season. He will slowly and steadily pull up to 100 pitches. He is a player with a lot to show in the future. There are many days left to please Korean baseball fans very much. He’s thinking about 120 to 125 innings this year, and he doesn’t have to go fast. We will continue to manage it carefully.”