Kiwoom Heroes pitcher Cho Sang-woo (30), who returned from military service, expressed his excitement at the new starting line.

“I will throw hard from my position”

“I’m more looking forward to the exhibition game.”

Cho Sang-woo finished spring camp on the 6th and entered the country through Incheon International Airport. He held the first camp in Arizona, USA and then moved to Kaohsiung, Taiwan to complete his training.

Cho Sang-woo said, “I have built my body well. “It’s been a long time since I camped, but I had fun and did well,” he said with a bright smile.

Jo Sang-woo, who was one of the best relief pitchers in the KBO League with a fast ball of 150 km/h, left the team for a while to enlist as a social worker after completing the 2021 season. In the meantime, he lost about 15kg, sweated steadily, and joined the team in better condition.

Cho Sang-woo, who revealed that his highest speed reached 148 km/h during spring training, said, “It has never reached this speed before. “I started to increase my speed during the exhibition games and adjusted it to the season, but I think it came up a little faster after taking a two-year break,” he explained.

There was some awkwardness in the long-awaited practice match, but I quickly got used to it. Cho Sang-woo said, “At first, it was difficult to get zero points because it had been a while, but it got better from the second and third games. “The batters are starting to react little by little, and I am looking forward to the exhibition game even more,” he said with a smile.

Cho Sang-woo's position in the new season is still a question mark. He performed well as a closing pitcher in 2020, making 33 saves and becoming the save king.

However, Kiwoom coach Hong Won-ki, whom we met at the airport that day, said about the pitcher position, “Nothing has been decided yet,” and “Last year, there were many games that were overturned in the 7th and 8th inning. Now we are considering the 8th inning more important than the 9th. “I think Cho Sang-woo will go out in the most important inning,” he said, leaving open several possibilities.

Cho Sang-woo said firmly, “(The position) is decided by the coach, and I just have to go out and throw hard.”

While Cho Sang-woo was away, the team went through several changes. Even after finishing the 2022 regular season in 3rd place, they showed the potential to advance to the Korean Series, but last year, for the first time since their founding, they finished in 10th place, the lowest place.

Lee Jeong-hoo (San Francisco Giants) and Ahn Woo-jin, who played key roles in the team until last year, left the team to advance to the United States and serve in the military, respectively. Expectations are bound to be high for Cho Sang-woo, who returns amidst a huge hiatus.

Cho Sang-woo, who has to fill their gap, said, “I don’t think it will be easy to compare myself with those two friends. “I will work hard in my position,” he said. “I am definitely excited.”

It's been a long time since we finished camp and prepared for an exhibition game, and it's been a long time since we prepared for the season. “I’m excited and looking forward to it,” he said. 한국야동