adminWhy was Jo Sang-woo’s (Kiwoom Heroes) name recalled after his absence at the end of the 2021 season?
Kiwoom head coach Hong Won-ki spoke to reporters on Wednesday ahead of the team’s 11th game of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League against KT Wiz at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. Hong talked about his evaluation of Jang Jae-young, the “fireballer” who pitched in relief in the previous game, and how he plans to utilize him in the second half.
Then, a reporter asked about the timing of the return of another fireballer, Cho Sang-woo. After hearing Cho’s name, Hong Won-ki laughed and said, “It’s a forgotten name,” and then said, “I know he’ll be discharged at the end of the year.”
Cho has been away since March 24 last year when he enlisted as a social service worker. He has one year and nine months to fulfill his obligations, and his discharge date is Dec. 23.
Although Cho won’t be able to contribute to the team right away, he’s been preparing himself well for his service, according to his commander. “I came to say hello to him about a month ago, and his body is very good. He has lost a lot of weight.” “He is serving in his own way, but he is preparing well,” he said, expressing his expectations for Cho.메이저사이트
Jo joined the Kiwoom Heroes as a first-round pick in 2013 and has since become one of the league’s best bullpen pitchers with his powerful delivery. In 2019 and 2020, he reached the 20-save plateau with back-to-back sub-2 ERAs.
In 2021, his final season before enlisting, Cho made his presence felt with a 6-5 record, 5 wins, 5 losses, 15 saves, and a 3.48 ERA in 44 games and 44 innings pitched. However, military commitments could no longer be put off, and Kiwoom was forced to let him go for a while.
After Cho’s enlistment, Kiwoom was left with a “closing” problem, and while Kim Jae-woong last year and Won Jong-hyun and Lim Chang-min this year have minimized the gap, there aren’t many pitchers in the bullpen who can make a solid push to the plate like Cho. It’s not like there aren’t other bullpen options available, but it’s still a “work in progress” for Kiwoom. This is why the team is waiting for Cho to return.