A pitcher who is still in his prime at 40, despite his trials. ‘Human victory’ is his message.
SSG Landers’ Noh Kyung-eun set a KBO League record. Noh came into the game in relief in the bottom of the sixth inning of SSG’s 4-3 win over the NC Dinos at NC Park in Changwon on May 15 with the bases loaded and two outs. Facing pinch-hitter Park Si-won as the first batter, Noh struck him out on a wild pitch and then got Kim Joo-won to ground out to second base to end the inning. After facing two batters and striking them both out to end the sixth inning, Noh fulfilled the hold requirement and was replaced by Han Hoo-sol to start the bottom of the seventh inning.
With her 30th hold of the season, Noh became the first player in KBO history to record 30 holds in back-to-back years. There are 11 other bullpen pitchers in history who have recorded 30 or more holds in a season. In 2006, Kwon Oh-joon (Samsung) became the first pitcher in history to reach the 30-hit mark with 32, and in 2019, Kim Sang-soo (Kiwoom) became the first pitcher in history to reach the 40-hit plateau. Noh Kyung-eun recorded her first 30-hit game in her professional debut last year and surpassed the 30-hit mark again this year. Of the 11 pitchers who have reached the 30-hit mark, none have done so in consecutive years.
It’s quite the opposite for Noh, who was born in 1984 and is now in his 40s.
Noh’s baseball career has been tumultuous. After graduating from Seongnam High School, he was drafted by the Doosan Bears in 2003 as their first-round pick and was highly anticipated. Labeled as an “unfinished business,” he embraced his untapped potential and earned his first double-digit win in 2012 with 12 wins, nearly a decade after joining the team. Two consecutive years of 10 wins and a stable starting rotation, it seemed like he was finally seeing the light, but the following year, he went 15-3 with a shocking 9.03 ERA.
After a slump in 2016 that led to talk of retirement, 카지노사이트 he was traded to the Lotte Giants for a fresh start with a second team. After a seemingly resurgent 2018 season in which he won nine games, Noh signed a free agent contract, but he was released after the 2021 season after struggling.
SSG reached out to Noh, who was on the brink of retirement. That year, Noh turned into a 12-win pitcher who split time between the starting rotation and the bullpen, and SSG won the wire-to-wire title. Noh was also a key player in the championship. Last year, she was a key pillar of the pitching staff that won 30 games, and this year, she maintained her form and set a KBO League record. The unfinished business that almost forced him to retire twice is now a complete veteran pitcher in his 40s, and he’s in his prime.
After achieving the record,
Noh said, “I feel like I’m setting records like this in my life. I think it will be the most valuable record in my baseball life. It’s a record that gives my baseball life meaning. I realized that I must have gone through a lot of trials and tribulations to set this record. The moment I achieved the record, the past moments of my baseball life passed like a movie,” he said, overwhelmed with emotion.
There are still goals. With more than 30 games left in the season, it’s still possible to break the club record. “I know the team record is 34 holds (Park Hee-soo of SK in 2012). Our next goal is 35. There are still a lot of matches left, so I want to challenge myself.”
He added, “I can’t record holds alone. It’s because of my manager, coaches, teammates and seniors who believed in me and let me play. I am grateful to all of them,” he said.