On the 4th, when SSG Landers Futures Team training was in full swing, a surprise coffee gift came to the players. The person who prepared the coffee was Seo Jin-yong, the closing pitcher who ranked first in saves last year.
The SSG Futures team has been conducting official training at Ganghwa SSG Futures Field since the 1st. Players, all of them, are silently working hard with the goal of developing their skills and entering the first team for the 2024 season.
Seo Jin-yong, who underwent bone fragment surgery on his right elbow after last season, began preparing for the season in the rehabilitation group, and presented about 60 cups of coffee to the Futures coaching staff and players a day before the Futures players' first rest day.
Seo Jin-yong said, “I started the season with rehabilitation at Futures for the first time in 8 years since 2016, and now it is difficult to get along with the players on Ganghwa Island as there is a large age gap and different schedules.” He added, “All the players have a hard time going through night training. "I got to see them preparing for the season. There's not much I can do to help, but I bought coffee to encourage everyone to cheer up. I hope everyone can feel refreshed and train without injury all the way to the Taiwan camp," he said.
The reactions of juniors are also enthusiastic. Left-handed pitcher Park Si-hoo, who joined the team in 2020, said, "In fact, even during the off-season last year, Seo Jin-yong bought coffee for the juniors. He always first tells the juniors if they are okay and is going well, and gives them a lot of advice." “Thank you for writing this, and I hope you finish your rehabilitation well and return to the first team in good health,” he said with a smile.
Seo Jin-yong, who joined SK (now SSG) as the 7th pick in the first round in 2011, achieved double-digit holds for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020, and in 2022, he played 68 games, 67⅓ innings, 7 wins, 3 losses, 12 holds, 21 saves, and an ERA. He contributed greatly to the team's overall victory with 4.01.
Seo Jin-yong, who reached the 40-save mark last year, rewrote his team's history. In the home game against the Lotte Giants held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on September 23, 2023, he surpassed Ha Jae-hoon (36 saves) in 2019 and broke the club's record for most saves in a single season.
Seo Jin-yong, who was recognized for his contribution, completed his salary contract for the 2024 season at 450 million won, an increase of 185 million won (69.8%) from 265 million won last year. He recorded the highest annual salary among those eligible for contract renewal this winter.
Seo Jin-yong has been on the operating table since last season. In November 2023, he underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment in his right elbow, and is focusing on improving his fitness. He went down to his hometown (Busan) in December to get in shape, and has been in the process of getting in shape while doing rehabilitation in Ganghwa Island since last month.
According to the SSG club, Seo Jin-yong is currently completing his rehabilitation schedule without any pain. He started playing catch at the end of last month and is gradually increasing the distance to 25m. Seo Jin-yong plans to prepare for the new season by getting in good shape until the Taiwan Futures Camp.
When participating in the '2024 SSG Landers Fan Festival' on the 21st of last month, Seo Jin-yong said, "I will try to prepare in time for the opening game if possible. I think it is better for him to continue playing like he is now. When the team talks about Seo Jin-yong, they say, 'He is one of the really consistent players. “I want to hear, ‘I was the save king last year, but I want to aim for the save king this year as well,” he said, expressing his desire to be the save king for the second year in a row.
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