The crisis turned into an opportunity. This is the story of the Hanwha Eagles, which recruited Ricardo Sanchez (26) as an alternative foreign pitcher.
On April 1, Hanwha was on an emergency alert. Birch Smith, who started the opening game, went down the mound without filling the third inning due to shoulder pain. It was difficult to estimate the timing of his return because he was such a sensitive injury.
An official from Hanwha’s management team said in a telephone interview with the newspaper, “We planned to send a scout to the U.S. unconditionally in the second week of April regardless of Smith’s injury.” “There was a case (injury replacement) last year, so this year, there was a mission to replace the player quickly if he left for more than a month,” he said. Hanwha awaits Nick Kingham and Ryan Carpenter’s recovery from injuries last season I wasted a lot of time. Based on my experience a year ago, I prepared an alternative in advance.
Considering the minor league Triple-A schedule that began in early April, the team scout moved to the U.S. around the 11th. An official from the management team said, “Smith was sick in the opening game, so he went out quickly (to the U.S.) 먹튀검증 as planned,” adding, “Our first goal was to recruit a left-handed pitcher unconditionally.” However, the considered player was injured and (the plan) was twisted,” he recalled. The left-handed pitcher, who was the No. 1 candidate, was also a resource that pushed for recruitment last year. He judged that he was the type to succeed in the KBO League, but the timing of the contract was not right. It was Sanchez who reported that the scout who looked for alternative resources was similar to the first candidate.
It’s not that there was no question mark. Sanchez is not tall at 1m78cm on his profile. Kirk McCarty (SSG Landers, 1m73cm) is the only foreign pitcher in the KBO League who is less than 1m80cm tall as of the opening game in 2023. The difference was also large compared to Smith, who is 1m 93cm tall. If a foreign pitcher is tall, it can be advantageous at a release point or extension (the distance from the footboard to the fingertips of the ball when pitching). This is why the club prefers tall players to short ones. Although it was a negative factor for Sanchez, Hanwha, which analyzed it thoroughly through video, concluded that “it can work in Korea.”
An official from the management team said, “Sanchez mixed a change-up to the left-handed batter’s body and a two-seam fastball to the right-handed batter’s body. “I threw a ball that could pose a threat to every corner of the strike zone,” he said adding, “It feels like I’m pitching slowly, but the timing of the batters was late.” That meant that it was difficult to get the timing right because there was a reception. “It didn’t take long for the leader to decide after watching the video,” he said.
Hanwha, whose scout left the country on the 11th, decided to recruit Sanchez on the 15th. The final step was negotiations with Sanchez’s original team, the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox is one of the big league clubs that is not easy to negotiate transfer fees. Hanwha got the autograph after actively courting. Internally, it is even said that “the sincerity worked.”
An official from the operation team said, “The president (Park Chan-hyuk) and the general manager helped me well. It could take a long time if the weekend gets stuck, so I prepared everything in advance. Scouts also moved to Atlanta to get a visa. “We have reduced the time required for administrative procedures a lot,” he said. Hanwha’s Sanchez contract was signed on the morning of the 20th. Less than 10 days after leaving the scout, he completed all contracts and wore the Eagles uniform.
Sanchez is making a soft landing in the KBO League. He has five wins and a 1.48 ERA in his first nine starts. Hanwha boasts a 100% winning rate with 8 wins and 1 draw in the game Sanchez took the mound.
Hanwha’s 2023 season is divided into before and after Sanchez’s recruitment. Until Sanchez made his debut, Hanwha’s winning rate was only 0.345 (10 wins, 1 draw, 19 losses). However, after Sanchez entered the rotation, the winning rate is much higher with 0.525 (21 wins, 3 draws and 19 losses). As he gives the team a victory every time he takes the mound, it is worth calling him a “lucky ball.” The team’s atmosphere has changed 180 degrees thanks to its bold and fast movement.
