Buchanan, who had 15 wins and 7 losses since the first season of the KBO League in 2020, has consistently played as an ace since then. Nine clubs rushed to target him, but to no avail. Rather, he is looking at a career high by maintaining an earned run average (2.69) in the 2-point range for the first time in his debut this season.
Behind consistency lies cleverness and adaptability. Samsung coach Park Jin-man said, “Buchanan seems to have integrated himself a lot into Korean baseball, making small changes to his pitching patterns for each opposing team. He also takes good care of his body consistently. It’s thanks to him overcoming the challenge of being analyzed and preparing hard with his own analysis.” I praised it.
Behind the 8 innings of good pitching in the game on the 9th, there was a sense of responsibility thinking about the team. Buchanan, who met with this newspaper, explained, “I knew that (our) players, who played in overtime against the Ulsan Lotte Giants on the 7th, arrived late in Seoul and were tired. I wanted to help, and I think I stayed focused because I thought I had to stop it.”안전놀이터
Buchanan ranks first in average number of pitches (100 pitches) this season. He threw a whopping 127 pitches against SSG Landers on August 11th. Buchanan said, “I threw a lot, but I’m in really good shape right now. I think that any starting pitcher should throw hard to help the team win in any situation. I don’t care about the number of pitches. Even in situations like the game on the 9th (107 pitches), I can take responsibility. “It is the role of the selector to take responsibility unconditionally,” he said.
Even in Major League Baseball (MLB), the number of pitches pitched is decreasing. Seattle Mariners ace George Kirby said after the Tampa Bay Rays game on the 9th (Korean time), “Honestly, I didn’t want to pitch in the 7th inning. At that time, there were already 90 pitches and I didn’t think I needed to throw any more,” and then said, “I didn’t want to throw any more.” He was criticized by retired players.
Unlike Kirby, Buchanan reminds us of the ‘complete pitching ace’ of the past. I asked Buchanan about Kirby’s situation. He smiled and said, “I do not agree with Kirby’s opinion. If a starting pitcher has a mission to fulfill, he must perform it and come down regardless of the number of pitches. When I pitched on the 9th, I could also come out in the 9th inning if the team needed me. Pitcher “I don’t think there is an ideal standard for the number of pitches,” he said emphatically.
His challenge to win 10 games for the fifth straight year is not yet certain. It is still too early to decide whether to renew the contract. Buchanan said, “I wish I could come to Korea again next year. More than anything, Korean fans give my family love,” and added, “As my son Bradley (4) grows up, it is time to think about school and education issues. I will think about renewing my contract later.” “I will see,” he said.