I expected the return of Machado…3 mistakes Warrrr, 40 million dollars foreigners stuck in a rut…KS chef’s gaze “Legs are not good”
The expectation that he will become the savior is gradually turning into despair.
The sluggishness of Lotte 안전놀이터 Giants foreign hitter Nico Gudrum seems to be getting deeper and deeper. His batting average in 28 games until the 26th was 2.57 (28 hits in 109 at-bats), 16 RBIs without a home run, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.640. His batting average in the last 10 games was 2.25 (9 hits in 40 at-bats), and he had 1 walk while striking out 10 times.
On the 11th of last month, Lotte signed a contract with Gudrum for an annual salary of $400,000. Existing foreign hitter Jack Rex went on the disabled list due to a knee injury in June and went through a rehabilitation period for more than a month, but made a decision when there was no sign of recovery. Lotte revealed the reason for replacing the foreigner, saying, “For team reasons, to rebound in the second half.”
Goodrum, who played in 402 major league games, was evaluated as a player with outstanding athletic ability. In particular, as the view that the defensive ability is also good was added, inside and outside Lotte expected a sense of stability like Dixon Machado, who was called the “defense fairy” in the 2020-2021 season. These expectations were heightened when Gu Drum showed good defense in the early stages of his KBO league debut.
However, this kind of Gudrum has a fatal problem. It is a problem with the hamstrings (muscles in the back of the thighs) that have been suffering since the days of the United States. Even last year, when he was with the Houston Astros, he suffered from a hamstring injury. The same problem continues in Lotte. After being excluded from the Gocheok Kiwoom match on the 18th, Gudrum was absent on the 19th and 20th. Regarding Gudrum’s hamstring problem, Lotte coach Larry Sutton said, “It’s a problem you’ll have to carry throughout the season. So, you have to take good care of it for the rest of the game.”
In the match against KT Wiz in Busan on the 26th, Gudrum alone made three mistakes. In the beginning of the second inning, when Lotte was leading 1-0, Goodrum, who was making a relay play when Oh Yoon-seok hit left-handed at the 1st and 2nd bases, cut the throw to 3rd base to catch Alford, who overrun at 3rd base, but the ball went back and tied the game provided an excuse. In the top of the 8th inning, with Lotte leading 5-3, the home throw missed and all the runners stepped on the home base. Lotte tied the score at the end of the 8th inning, but at the beginning of the 9th inning, Goodrum threw a ground ball from Bae Jeong-dae to the 3rd base at the 2nd and 3rd base, but missed it for a long time and gave it the lead again.
Commentator Kim Tae-hyung of SBS Sports, who led the Korean series for 7 consecutive years during his time with the Doosan Bears, pointed out after Gudrum’s third mistake, “My leg doesn’t work. When I step with my left leg, when I go with my right hand, the beat doesn’t match.” At the end of the ninth inning, when Lotte lost 6-8 to KT, when the image of Gudrum sitting on the bench was reflected on the broadcast screen, he carefully said, “I can’t tell you how to run the team,” and then said, “Foreigners Isn’t the proportion of players large? If these players don’t work, it’s okay to change them. Take them out of the starting lineup,” he added.
It is an important factor in the role of foreign hitters and the vitality of the other line. It is true that the importance of Goodrum has increased at the present time when Han Dong-hee, who should be in charge of third base along with the role of the central hitter, is showing an extremely sluggish performance. However, Goodrum also failed to overcome his high quality and is off-beat in his offense and defense. It is the reality of Lotte that has no choice but to sigh.