NC’s new foreign pitcher, Tanner Tully, 29, first got his hands on the KBO League in the U.S. before coming to South Korea.
Pitcher Drew Luczynski (35, Oakland Athletics)
who returned to Major League Baseball in the United States this year from NC
delivered the ball directly to Tanner. 지울프-토토
Luczynski and Tanner are alumni of Ohio State University in the United States and are “neighborhood acquaintances” who live in the same area.
He also belongs to a baseball player group of 8~9 people and trains together in the offseason.
Upon hearing the news of Tanner’s departure to Korea, Luczynski sold his own products.
He visited Tanner’s house and delivered the KBO official to help him adjust in advance.
Tanner said
As soon as I heard that I was going to Korea
Luczynski came to my house with a ball.
I even played catch with that ball
he laughed
before adding
Luczynski told me to enjoy life in Korea more than baseball.
I told him that if he enjoys living in Korea
the fans will like him and the results will be good.
Luczynski is considered the best pitcher in club history for his role in NC’s inaugural championship in 2020.
He spent 2019 years in NC from 2022~4 and played in 121 career games (732/53 innings) with a 36-3 record
06.657 ERA and 4 strikeouts.
For the fourth consecutive year
he threw more than 177 innings consistently
showing his innings digestibility.
After last year’s season
he made a major league U-turn
signing with Oakland for $1 million in one-year guarantees and a two-year
maximum $300 million deal with a club option for next year.
However
he injured his left hamstring before the season and started on the injured list
and after returning to the major leagues in late April
he struggled badly with four losses and a 4.4 ERA in four games (18 innings) without a win.
After that
he was sidelined again due to gastritis
and last month he underwent back surgery and was out for the season as it was.
Luczynski It’s a very difficult time for me personally
but when I heard that Tanner was going to the KBO League
not to another team
but to my parents’ NC
I personally sold my feet and delivered the ball.
Tanner
who made his KBO League debut against Hanwha in Changwon on the 4th
did not record a win or loss with six hits (two home runs) in six innings
four strikeouts
and three runs
but he had a good start with a quality start.
He hit two home runs to Noh Si-hwan in the first inning and Nick Williams in the sixth
but as he was known
his pitch was stable.
Even without his fiery fastball
he was efficient in stopping six innings in 9 balls.
Tanner said
I was happy to be in the game for the first time in a long time.
It was also good that a lot of fans came to the ballpark
he said
adding
It’s new during the season
but it’s the same baseball.
It takes time to adjust to the time difference and the ball population
but as I played, I got used to the ball in my hands.
From the third inning onwards
my slider movement got better and better
he said
reflecting on his debut.
His slider
which curved wide to the outside of the left-handed hitter
looked like a trendy sweeper these days.
Tanner said
It has a lot of lateral movement
so it looks like a sweeper
but I don’t think it’s that much.
I guess you could call it a slider.”
There was a three-week hiatus since the last climb in the United States
so I’m still not 3% fit.
The debut straight-ball restraint peaked at 100 kilometers and averaged 144 kilometers
which was lower than when he was in the United States. NC coach Kang Won-won said
He showed the stable innings we expected
but both the maximum restraint and the average restraint were down by about 140km.
Since it is the first climb
it is seen as a physical condition problem.
The RPM (revolutions per minute) was slightly higher than in the United States.
I think he will find his restraint in the game.”
Tanner also said
I hadn’t pitched in three weeks
so I went into the concept of live pitching (for the first game).
If you keep building your body
your restraint will improve.
In the U.S.
fastball restraints traveled 2~3 miles (88.91 km~141.6 km).
My goal is to pitch as many innings as possible as a starter and help the team win.
