SEOUL– The NC Dinos boast the early season ERA leader in South Korean baseball in Drew Rucinski, who has a miniscule 0.33 ERA after four starts. But collectively, the Dinos have the worst team ERA at 4.28.
That tells you all you need to know about the rest of the rotation behind Rucinski, and manager Lee Dong-wook finds himself in a scramble to keep his starting rotation afloat. The Dinos also have the worst record in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) at 6-14.
Before playing the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, Lee announced he will replace slumping starter Shin Min-hyeok with reliever Kim Si-hoon.
Shin, in his second full season as a starter, has allowed a whopping 33 hits in just 18 2/3 innings across four starts, all of them losses. He sports an 8.20 ERA.
Shin last pitched Friday, and Kim, a 23-year-old rookie, will take Shin’s spot when his turn comes up.
Kim has not yet surrendered a run in 11 1/3 innings, covering nine relief appearances. Kim has struck out 14 while averaging 148.5 kilometers per hour with his four-seam fastball, making him one of the hardest throwers in the KBO.
Though Kim has not yet made a start in the KBO, Lee insisted he had been preparing for his moment since spring training.
“He started some scrimmages during spring training and threw live batting practices as a starter,” Lee noted. “So it’s not as if we’re just throwing him into the fire abruptly. He is stretched out to start.”
Moving Kim into the starting rotation deprives the bullpen of its most reliable middle reliever. But Lee said he didn’t have any choice but to make that change.
“If our starters can’t do their job and keep us in front, then our top relievers will be rendered useless anyway,” the manager said. “We don’t have anyone else to call up from the minors to put in the rotation. And I believe Kim Si-hoon is more than capable of being a starting pitcher. He certainly has the stuff to do the job. That’s why I’ve made this decision.”
As for the work Rucinski has done so far — only one earned run allowed in 27 innings prior to Tuesday’s start — Lee said the American right-hander has been able to thrive, because he keeps things simple.
“This is already his fourth season. You’d think hitters have figured him out, but he knows the hitters, too,” Lee said. “He has his routines and sticks to them. He has been so consistent that way.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency