Josh Lindblom (36), who left a strong mark in the KBO league, such as being the league MVP and 5th in the most wins by a foreign player, announced his retirement from active duty.
Lindblom posted on his SNS on the 13th (Korean time), “For the past 30 years, baseball has taught me more than balls and strikes, hits and runs, and wins and losses. It has taught me life and the country I am writing this letter has made me a person.” He shared his feelings about his retirement.
“I would like to thank everyone who has influenced me while playing the game I love. Family and friends, co-workers and coaches, front desk and concession staff, grounds crew and media, fans and children who have been with me. If so, this letter is yours.”
Lindblom’s professional baseball career began when the Los Angeles Dodgers selected him in the second round of the 2008 draft. After debuting in the 2011 season, he wandered around Philadelphia, Texas, and Oakland before joining Lotte in 2015 and establishing a relationship with Korea. 메이저사이트
He won 28 wins in 74 games for three years at Lotte, and even after moving to Doosan in 2018, he played an active role as an ace and won the Pitcher Golden Glove for two consecutive years. In 2019, his last season, with an ERA of 2.50, 20 wins and 3 losses in 30 games, 194⅔ innings and 189 strikeouts, he won 3 pitching crowns (most wins, strikeouts, winning rate), league MVP, and the Korean Series championship ring. His KBO League career record was 63 wins, 34 losses, and an earned run average of 3.55 in 130 games.
Based on his career high season, in December 2019, he returned to the major leagues by signing a contract with Milwaukee for up to 18 million dollars (about 22.3 billion won) for 3 years. However, in the major leagues, failure was repeated. He was expected to be a 3 starter, but from his first year, he went 2-4 with a 5.16 ERA in 12 games and dropped out of the starting rotation. In the 2021 season, after being assigned in May, he played for the Milwaukee Minor League Triple A team and did not return to the major leagues until last year.
Lindblom dominated the KBO league with his fastball and breaking ball. A variety of pitches based on the ability to quickly acquire pitches was also the secret to becoming a longevity outsider. However, the fastball with an average speed of only 145 km per hour did not work at all in the major leagues, and there were limits to dealing with various pitches.
Called a hard-working ace in Korea, he was a player who constantly studied for development in the United States. As the 2020 season hit its limits, he aimed to increase rotational speed as a solution to slower-than-major league velocity that winter. As a result, he succeeded in increasing the number of fastball rotations from an average of 2551 to 2749 while checking his tracking data in 3 months. As he posted this process on his SNS from time to time, he also received attention and recognition from major league officials, including pitching analysis expert Rob Friedman.
Although it ended in failure, he was an icon of sincerity that everyone recognized for his passion for baseball. As if to prove this, Lindblom’s SNS was full of support from fans and baseball officials. Former major league teammates Trevor Rosenthal and Trevor Williams cheered, saying, “Congratulations, your future will be bright.” In addition, numerous blessings followed, such as “Lindblom, you have become a pioneer for many people and have had a good influence. Good luck.”
