It’s okay to take a step back. This is because I can provide strong support to my juniors.
Left-handed reliever Lim Jeong-ho (33) is one of the most senior pitchers on the NC Dinos pitching staff. Although he doesn’t have many opportunities to participate in the postseason, he is looking at his juniors’ pitching with satisfaction. In particular, Kim Young-gyu, Ryu Jin-wook, and Choi Seong-young are playing very well in the middle-level pitching team.
Lim Jeong-ho said, “I’m really proud of my younger brothers. I wasn’t as good as they were when I was that age,” and added, “There are a lot of juniors who are playing fall baseball for the first time, so I tried to tell them what I felt in the past. I wanted to keep them focused. I’m truly happy that everyone is doing well. “He said emphatically.
A representative example is Ryu Jin-wook. He became the core of the team’s sure-to-win team by four seasons in the first team. He entered the postseason for the first time this year. Ryu Jin-wook said, “It was my first fall baseball game, so I asked a lot of questions to (Lim) Jeong-ho and (Lee) Yong-chan.”
Lim Jeong-ho said, “In the first game of the wild card game (14-9 win against Doosan Bears), when the batting line scored a point, (Ryu) Jin-wook was so excited that he went wild. So, ‘Jin-wook, you have to pitch at important times, such as the 8th inning, so calm down. “I told him, ‘Get ready. You have to do what you have to do,’” he said, laughing. He smiled and said, “I’m not old, but the pitchers on our team are all young. I somehow became one of the most senior players. I liked when I was younger.”
NC finished the regular season in 4th place this year. They advanced to the next level by winning the first game of the wild card match against 5th place Doosan. In the semi-playoffs (best of 5 games), they smiled by winning 3 consecutive wins against SSG Landers, who ranked 3rd in the season. This year, they are on a 4-game winning streak in the postseason.
Lim Jeong-ho also shared the burden with his juniors. He previously recorded a total of 16 postseason games, 6 innings, 1 loss, and 1 hold, with an earned run average of 9.00. He said, “In fall baseball, you can’t try to do something because it takes too much effort and you end up overdoing it,” and added, “I tried to prepare according to what the coach asked me to do.”
In the first game of the wild card game, he appeared in relief in the top of the 8th inning with 2 outs and runners on first base with an 8-5 lead. He was hit by a heavy hit from the first batter, Kim Jae-hwan. Center fielder Jason Martin rushed and missed the ball twice. One point was added due to Martin’s catching error. The score was 8-6, 2 outs and 3rd base. The NC bench immediately lowered Lim Jeong-ho and placed closing pitcher Lee Yong-chan on the mound.
Lim Jeong-ho looked back and said, “It was disappointing. I came on the mound to block him, but he couldn’t finish the inning, so I was very disappointed.”
He did not get a chance to pitch in the first and second games of the semi-playoffs. NC coach Kang In-kwon said ahead of the third game, “Lim Jeong-ho’s performance at the end of the season was not that good. I was worried that his arm condition was not 100%. He will play in the third game, so we will see how he is.”
In 8 games and 5⅔ innings in October, he was shaken with 2 losses and 3 holds and an average ERA of 11.12. Lim Jeong-ho explained, “In the second half, my stamina dropped and I suffered from body aches. My arm was in a very bad condition,” and “I think it got worse as the weather got colder. I felt sorry for the team for not doing so well. I worked hard to do well in the postseason.” .안전놀이터
We made up for it in the third game. In the top of the 7th inning, when the team was ahead 7-6, he took on the responsibility of runners on first and second base with two outs. He earned the hold with 1⅓ innings, 1 walk, 1 strikeout, and no runs. He made decisive pitches against pinch hitter Kang Jin-seong and 1st through 4th hitters Choo Shin-soo, Guillermo Heredia, Choi Jeong, and Han Yu-seom. NC confirmed its advancement to the playoffs with a 7-6 win.
Lim Jeong-ho said, “Even if I got a hit, I tried to win as much as possible. I tried not to let out runners, so I got good results. I wanted to warm up in the bullpen and go to the game, but that wasn’t the case. Now I feel like I’m sharing the burden with my juniors.” “It was good,” he said.
Starting on the 30th, the playoffs (best of 5 games) will be held against KT Wiz, 2nd place in the regular season. NC, which finished the semi-playoffs on the 25th, secured four days of rest. Lim Jeong-ho said, “I’m fortunate to be able to rest a lot. I will improve my arm condition so that I can pitch well,” and expressed his determination, “I don’t have any special mindset. I’ll just go out if the coach lets me go.”
He then raised his voice, saying, “I want to create a great series by leading my younger siblings and helping them like I have done so far. Everyone is doing well, so if I just do what I’m doing, I think I will get good results.”