유지호
| 2021-02-10 14:02:42
MLB-pitcher
After offseason work, Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun ready for long grind
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- Heading into the longest season of his professional career, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun feels he is ready for the grind.
Kim said Wednesday the focus of his offseason training has been on improving his stamina so that he could survive his first 162-game season in Major League Baseball (MLB). As a big league rookie in 2020, Kim only made eight appearances, including one game out of the bullpen, as the season was slashed from 162 games to 60 games due to effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kim signed with the Cardinals in late 2019, after spending 13 years in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The lengths of seasons here have been between 126 games and 144 games during Kim's time. And even in shorter KBO seasons, Kim had run out of gas at times toward the finish line.
"With 162 games in America compared to 144 games in Korea, I felt I needed to get stronger, and early in the offseason, I tried to address that issue," Kim said. "Later on, I worked on the pitching side of things. I'm pleased with the work I've been putting in, and I think the way my body is building up should set me up for a good season."
Kim made these remarks in an interview clip released by his Korean agency, Brand New Sports, on Wednesday, two days before Kim is scheduled to depart for Jupiter, Florida, for spring training. Kim chose not to have a press conference due to COVID-19 restrictions.
In 2020, Kim went 3-0 with a 1.62 ERA and recorded a save in his major league debut. Kim had a midseason health scare with a kidney ailment that left him hospitalized in September.
With some help from a personal trainer in Korea, Kim, 32, said he has established his own routine that he hopes will keep him fresh for the entire season.
While Kim was hard at work, the Cardinals kept themselves busy with some key offseason moves. They brought back two franchise icons, pitcher Adam Wainwright and catcher Yadier Molina, after both became free agents following the 2020 season. And in a trade with the Colorado Rockies, the Cardinals acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado, a five-time All-Star and a three-time league home run king who has also collected eight Gold Gloves and four Platinum Gloves as the best defensive player in baseball.
Kim built a strong rapport with Wainwright last year, as the 39-year-old American veteran took Kim under his wing and became his training partner while the MLB season remained on hold in spring during the pandemic.
"Wainwright helped me so much last year, and I'd like to keep playing with him for a long time," Kim said. "And Arenado is such a feared hitter. He'll help our club a great deal, and I can't wait to play with him."
Kim traveled to the southern island of Jeju earlier this month to work out with his former KBO club, SK Wyverns. The club will be sold to Shinsegae Group and will adopt a new name once the paperwork is finalized in March.
Kim said he was so shocked with the news of the sale that he didn't believe it at first. Kim thanked SK Group for its support during his 13 years with the Wyverns and added, "I hope Shinsegae Group will help grow Korean baseball even further."
(END)
[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]