"I spent seven years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The maximum speed of my fastball is 159 kilometers that I threw two years ago. I want to shoot 160 kilometers from Lotte and go to the fall baseball league."
Lotte Giants' new foreigner Alec Gamboa (28) showed confidence in his pleasant appearance at his first meeting with reporters.
"I'm still jetlagged, but I'm fine," said Gamboa at Sajik Stadium in Busan on Sunday. Her face and cheerful personality were glimpsed.
Originally, he was scheduled to enter the country on the 16th, but he came in on the 17th, a day later due to circumstances. Visa issuance is not yet available.
Immediately after his arrival in Korea, he went straight to Sajik Stadium to greet the players for the first time, while warming up by playing catch ball in the outfield and showing off his passion to play the first round of doubleheader in the dugout. On the second day of his arrival in Korea, he began a full-fledged bullpen session and threw about 20 pitches to recover himself.
The Dodgers Minor, where Gamboa played, has many Korean players. Notably, he has been with Choi Hyun-il (currently Triple-A of the Washington Nationals) for a long time. "As soon as I received Lotte's love call, I asked Kim Hye-sung and Choi Hyun-il about Korea," he said with a smile.
As for Kim Hye-sung, "I think I struggled because I was unfamiliar with the United States because it was my first time in the spring camp. I expected him to do as well as he does now after watching him exercise. He is a player who will do better in the future."
"I even had a video call with Kim Hye-sung. He said Lotte has the most passionate fandom in the KBO league. Choi Hyun-il and Jang Hyun-seok also said, "I will help you with anything you need."
While playing for the Dodgers for seven years, he steadily knocked on the big leagues, but failed to penetrate his strong base. Gamboa said, "The Dodgers is a really prestigious club. When I first joined the team, my speed was about 143 to 146 kilometers, but now my speed has risen like this (average 151 kilometers, maximum 159 kilometers). "Honestly, it was not an easy decision to come to Korea," he said.
At the same time, he said, "The atmosphere at Sajik Stadium yesterday was amazing. It was like watching the playoffs."
In the bullpen session on the day, he checked all the pitches he can throw besides fastballs. As for the official ball in Korea, he said, "I didn't feel much difference."
Introduced as the maximum, the 159-kilometer (99-mile) speed limit was taken two years ago. "I tried 100 miles (161 kilometers), but it wasn't easy. I wish I could come from Korea," Gamboa said.
In addition to baseball, he was born with athletic sense enough to represent California in American football and wrestling. He is not tall at 1 meter 85, but his muscular build that makes his uniform burst gives a strong impression. "Actually, I think I had more talent in wrestling than in baseball, but I chose baseball because it was the most fun and I thought I could continue my career as a player," he said. 메이저사이트
"Hasn't the name already been decided? I'll call you BoA," Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung said with a chuckle.
Gamboa also responded. "I've heard a lot about BoA through SNS even before joining the team. Many people recommended "No. 1" for her song, but I found "Hurricane Venus" was good, too. I'm thinking about getting votes from fans," she said, promising active communication with her fans.
"I want to prove what kind of pitcher I am on the Korean stage. I will enjoy fans' passion for being the best in Korea. I am well aware of Lotte's recent performance. I will do my best to help him fight in the fall baseball."