Left-handed pitcher Jeong Gu-beom enlisted in active duty on the 8th. Gu-beom Jeong is a promising player who was drafted as the first overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2020 rookie season. Provided by NC
‘Forgotten prospect’ left-handed pitcher Jeong Gu-beom (24, NC Dinos) headed to the military.
Gu-beom Jeong quietly enlisted in active duty on the 8th (deployed to his unit after training at the Nonsan Army Training Center). In a phone call with this newspaper, NC General Manager Lim Seon-nam said, “If you want to go to Sangmu (Army Athletic Corps), don’t you have to wait (for the date you can apply)? (Enlisting as an active-duty soldier) The player said he wanted to quickly resolve military service and prepare for the next one. “There was a request,” he said.
Jeong Gu-beom, who graduated from Deoksu High School, was the biggest pick in the 2020 rookie draft. In his third year of high school, he recorded 3 wins in the national championship and an ERA of 0.90, and was mentioned as a candidate for the first round of nomination by teams in the Seoul area. However, he was excluded from the first round of nomination due to retention of grades and wore the NC uniform, which had the right to be the first overall pick in the second round. NC coach Lee Dong-wook at the time expressed his expectations, saying, “When I saw him pitching as a youth representative in his second year, he was great. He was able to put the ball in and out (in the strike zone) and play with it.” In the NC scouting section, he was well-received, saying, “In addition to the fastball, he can freely throw four types of pitches: slider, curve, and splitter.”
After joining NC, Jeong Gu-beom’s growth rate was slow. His physical condition was a problem. When he was in high school, he played so many games that his shoulder was in bad shape. The club decided that he needed to gain more weight, so he let go of the ball for a while. Gu-Beom Jeong, who appeared in only 4 games in 2020, left for Kansas City, USA, with permission from the club in August of the following year. At the place where his family stayed, he did personal training for about 4 months and drew attention by posting a photo of him gaining 17 kg on his personal social media (SNS).
He prepared for the 2022 season in Kansas City through weight training, reinforcement, and technical training. But the medicine was ineffective. He made his first-team debut in the 2022 season, appearing in two games, and played only four games last year. His overall first-team record is 6 games, 1 loss, and an ERA of 8.36. The second-team performance (overall 7 wins, 3 losses, 5 holds, ERA 4.79) was not particularly outstanding. He received high expectations as the team’s top pitching prospect, but the results did not match those expectations.
Jeong Gu-beom’s choice was the military. Since it was difficult to expect military service benefits for participating in international competitions, enlisting on active duty was a realistic alternative. General Manager Lim Seon-nam said, “I think he has the intention to return in the second half of next year and do well from the next season,” and encouraged him, “It is regrettable, but it is not a bad idea to start anew after completing military service rather than spending time ambiguously.”
Reporter Bae Jung-hyeon bjh1025@edaily.co.kr
2024-01-14 01:23:00
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