Ponce's sincerity, "Ryu Hyunjin is our leader. I'm honored to run with you"

Ponce's sincerity, "Ryu Hyunjin is our leader. I'm honored to run with you"

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"Ryu Hyun-jin, 38, is a real leader of our team. I hope many people know how much I respect him."

Cody Ponce (31) of the Hanwha Eagles recently received an unforgettable "big hug" from Ryu Hyun-jin. Ryu set a new record of 18 strikeouts, the most in a regular season, against the Daejeon SSG Landers on Thursday last week. Ryu Hyun-jin was the previous owner of the record. On May 11, 2010, he had 17 strikeouts during nine innings against the Cheongju LG Twins, holding the record for 15 years. Ponce broke that record right before his eyes. "When I came back to the dugout, Ryu gave me a heartfelt congratulation and a big hug," Ponce said with a smile. 안전놀이터

Ryu is the living legend of Korean baseball. Upon his debut in 2006, he won the MVP award and the Rookie of the Year award. After serving as the ace for the Hanwha Eagles and the national team for seven years, he left for the Major League in 2013. He also became a top starting pitcher in the MLB by garnering 14 wins for two consecutive years from the first season. In 2019, he became a starting pitcher for the MLB All-Star Game and acquired the ERA title. In February last year, he signed an eight-year contract with Hanwha for a total of 17 billion won, and returned to his home team. Hanwha's foreign pitcher interpreter Kim Ji-hwan hinted, "Ryu Hyun-jin is like an idol to Ponce and Ryan Weiss."

In fact, Ponce said, "It means a lot to me to be in the same team as Ryu Hyun-jin." "It is a great opportunity and honor to play with him, who has played in the big league for more than 10 years and left many footsteps in the KBO league," he said. "People usually see me teasing and joking with Ryu Hyun-jin, but they don't know how much I respect him. I hope everyone knows that."

Ponce described Ryu as a "subtle leader." He means that he leads the team with his presence, not his words. "Ryu does his job silently, keeps his place in every game, and gives support to the players," Ponce said. "I don't raise my voice, but everyone knows that he is the leader of the Hanwha Eagles." "Just being there gives me strength," Ponce said. "When he says it, everyone hears it."