Incheon International Airport, Reporter Ko Yu-ra] Geelong Korea acquired a new ‘mercenary’ on the 19th.
Koo Dae-seong, who lives in Australia and is invincible, took part in the Geelong Korea uniform for four consecutive away matches against the Adelaide Giants, which were held from the 19th at the suggestion of Geelong Korea coach Lee Byung-gyu. It was his first appearance in four years since he made a surprise appearance in 2019 when he was coach of Geelong Korea.
Koo Dae-seong took the mound against Adelaide on the 19th and recorded two strikeouts and no runs in one inning. His velocity was in the mid-110 km/h range, but his fast pitching tempo and excellent control allowed Australian batsmen to miss the bat. A video of Koo Dae-sung’s pitching at the time was posted on Major League’s official SNS, surprising international baseball fans.
Koo Dae-seong finished 4 consecutive matches with Adelaide with 1 hit, 2 strikeouts, 2 walks, and 2 runs (no runs) in 3 games, 2⅓ innings. Born in 1969 and 53 years old, Koo Dae-sung’s ‘old man’s fighting spirit’ was enough for young pitchers to learn from. Koo Dae-seong, who made his debut with the Binggrae Eagles in 1993, happily celebrated the 30th anniversary of his professional debut.
After returning to Korea via Incheon International Airport on the 23rd, coach Lee Byeong-gyu of Geelong Korea said, “The first time I came to train together, he wanted to throw a ball, so he said, ‘If you come to Adelaide, I will give you a chance.’ He has a great passion for baseball. I think I learned a lot from watching the players,” he said highly of Goo Dae-sung’s will.
Coach Lee said that he deliberately had young pitchers and Koo Dae-sung throw the ball together from the bullpen so that the players could watch and learn. The ‘future’ of the KBO League, which belongs to Geelong Korea, must have felt a lot from watching the veteran pitcher who stepped on the professional stage long before they were born.
KIA Tigers pitcher Choi Ji-min, who played for Geelong Korea, said, “It was difficult to approach him because he was a legendary person, but he asked a lot of questions and learned a lot. He said, “I plan to continue training even during camp.”
Choi Ji-min continued, “먹튀검증 Besides that, just watching (throwing) was a good study. I thought about whether I could continue throwing in the pros after 30 years, but it doesn’t seem to be easy. You must have worked so hard.”
Koo Dae-seong experienced all of the Korea-US-Japan professional leagues, followed by the Australian stage, experiencing the baseball he wanted to play to his heart’s content. Here, he is now becoming a ‘role model’ for players who want to play for a long time. What did the young pitchers of Geelong Korea feel as they watched Koo Dae-sung, who is well over 50 years old, take care of himself?