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| ▲ In this file photo from June 4, 2021, Song Eun-beom of the LG Twins pitches against the Kia Tigers in the bottom of the eighth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ In this file photo from June 11, 2021, Song Eun-beom of the LG Twins pitches against the Doosan Bears during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. (Yonhap) |
pitcher-baseball postseason
Injured pitcher to teammates: 'Trust your stuff'
SEOUL, Nov. 4 (Yonhap) -- LG Twins' veteran reliever Song Eun-beom won't be with the club when their South Korean baseball playoff series starts Thursday night, as he's recovering from a knee injury he'd suffered in August.
But he will be there in spirit and also in the form of a number written on his teammates' caps, as they take on the Doosan Bears in the best-of-three first round.
After Song tore a ligament in his right knee on a fielding play on Aug. 14, LG players wrote his number, 46, in a white marker on their caps. It's a common practice in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to have numbers of injured teammates written on caps, but Song said Thursday he was still touched by his teammates' action.
And Song's absence will be sorely felt for a team that could use all the bullpen help it could get.
In 23 career postseason games, Song has posted a 1.90 ERA across 47 1/3 innings, with a 4-3 record, one save and two holds. He has pitched in every role possible: as a starter, a middle reliever and a closer.
He also pitched well against the Bears during this past regular season before his injury, with a 1.59 ERA in 5 2/3 innings over four appearances.
Though the Twins are without Song, they will at least have a big cheerleader in the injured pitcher.
"Our team has a lot of young players who can be even better if they can control their minds," Song said. "In a playoff series, there will be a lot of pressure on their shoulders, but I'd like to see those guys play with more confidence. They worked so hard in the regular season and I hope they get their rewards in the postseason."
Having had a firsthand look at some of those pitchers, Song knows his teammates have what it takes to win games this time of year.
"Our bullpen guys all have great stuff," Song said. "If they can trust their stuff and trust the fielders behind them, then good results will follow."
Song suffered his injury when he slammed brakes trying to avoid colliding with a runner, and put all of his weight on the right knee. He went down in immediate pain, and underwent surgery on Aug. 30.
He has been ruled out for a year, an unfamiliar situation for a veteran who had mostly stayed healthy throughout his 19-year career.
"I've never been out of action this long in my career," said Song, who still has trouble walking. "But I am getting better, and I will try to pitch the full season next year. And I want to be in the postseason with my teammates next year, too."
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