Free agent left-handed pitcher Kang Yoon-gu (32) chose to change his name.
On the 16th, Kang Yoon-gu announced that he had changed his name to Kang Ri-ho. Kang Ri-ho, who got in touch with ‘Spotify News’ that day, said, “Irouli, I use the ho. It means to live leisurely and prosperously. I have struggled so far. It was not easy to change my name, but I decided to see the meaning. did,” he said.
The fact that he changed his name by searching for and visiting the naming place himself is like any baseball player who has changed his name, so he has the feeling of trying to catch a straw. Kang Ri-ho smiled bitterly, saying, “I’ve really changed everything, but there’s nothing more to change. That’s why he finally changed his name. It didn’t work out well with the previous name.”
The time when Kang Ri-ho changed his name stands out because he is currently in the free agent market and waiting for contact from clubs. 안전놀이터 Kang Ri-ho, a 14-year-old pitcher who joined the Heroes as the first choice in 2009, received so much expectations that he was considered a team trader. Then, he was traded to NC in March 2017, and traded from NC again to Lotte in July of last year, and wore the 3rd uniform.
Kang Ri-ho was expected to get many opportunities in Lotte, where left-handed bullpens are rare, but after the trade, he only appeared in 50 games until this year. He appeared in 29 games this year, posting an earned run average of 5.48 with 27 strikeouts and 6 walks in 21⅓ innings. Kang Ri-ho obtained the first free agency right after his debut after the season, and after much consideration, he exercised it and is looking for a new team.
It’s not that Lotte didn’t catch Kang Ri-ho. Kang Ri-ho said, “The club needs a left-handed pitcher. Also, the Lotte coaches and players are good at it, and it’s a team with a strong bond, so I didn’t want to leave and wanted to stay for a long time. All other reasons are excuses in the end. I left Lotte because I was weak now. It hurts,” he said.
He said, “The club and people around me stopped applying for free agency. I heard a lot of stories that I would be lost, and it was difficult for myself. I wanted to know how to apply for free agency with this score. I would have thought about quitting baseball. From the second half, I saw that the ball improved.”
Kang Ri-ho, who is currently undergoing individual training, is concentrating on raising his speed again. He explained, “I think that the things I’ve been concerned about so far won’t be a problem once I get speed. I don’t worry about things like breaking balls, control balls, and game management. So I’m going all-in on training where I can use stronger power to increase speed.” did.
He said, “I have never exceeded 135 km during practice pitching for the past three years. If I threw like that and went up to the mound, I came out in the early 140 km range. I saw a positive signal. I am increasing the weight and paying attention.”
Kang Yun-gu, who was highly anticipated as a left-handed fireballer who was said to be brought from hell, is no longer there. Kang Ri-ho, who is ‘struggling’ to regain his lost restraint, is eagerly waiting for an opportunity to challenge again. He concluded the interview with an honest feeling of waiting for the FA contract, saying, “I thought it would be difficult from the beginning. He doesn’t expect a jackpot.”