“There is a quiet peace in my heart.”
Mario Sanchez (29), a new KIA foreign pitcher, showed off his potential by catching 10 strikeouts without being shaken, despite being appealed twice by KT manager Lee Kang-cheol in his KBO league debut match against KT on the 9th. No matter what anyone says, he definitely showed off his own personality, such as squat control, double kicking, and pitching while stepping on the extreme first base pitching board.
Director Kim Jong-guk said that Sanchez was “like a fighting chicken.” There is definitely a feeling of ‘sweetness’. Somehow, it matches well with the ‘Mario-like’ face. It was intense. In the second half, he should play as a key starting pitcher along with Yang Hyeon-jong and the returning Thomas Panoni. It is encouraging that he left a strong impression on his opponent.
However, Sanchez had an unexpected charm. Ahead of the Samsung match in Gwangju on the 12th, he was meek. The interview was conducted calmly. He is from Venezuela and he speaks English quite well. Regarding the Fighting Cock comment, he said, “It can seem that way in game. I think it’s because I’m thoroughly focused on my play. But actually, on the contrary, there is a quiet peace in my heart.”
If you meet fans in Gwangju, you will be able to see the gentle Sanchez. “If you look at my daily life, you will feel familiar,” Sanchez said. Even if we meet on the street, we can talk comfortably. That’s my level. Training and games are active and passionate, but off the field it’s different. I wonder if all players are like that.”
What I’m curious about is the double kicking. At the time of the KT game, the umpire notified Sanchez that it could not be recognized as a regular pitch because it was not pitched with the same double kicking to every batter. Sanchez has revealed that he won’t double-kicking in the future, but he also has some insecurities.
He said, “The referee said that the motion itself is not the problem, but that the same pitching form should be used for all pitching, but if you want to do that, you have to do it from the beginning. I’ve been using double kicking for a long time. To be honest, I don’t think I’m sure how my pitching style will change if I’m not allowed to. It is the wish that it does not affect anything else.”
The purpose of double kicking is to give irregularities in the timing fight with batters. If you don’t do that, Sanchez will lose a weapon. This part needs to be confirmed in the first appearance of the second half. Still, the general analysis is that it is not the type to collapse easily because it has good control, squat control, and the effect of stepping on the first base pitching plate very lightly.
Sanchez said, “It was from the beginning of last year that I adjusted the position of stepping on the pitcher’s plate. It wasn’t like that from the beginning. It happened by moving little by little. It was like testing a falling ball. It happened while making changes to target left-handed batters. He has been able to throw the sweeper with more power. Of course, overall, I think my pitches have improved.”
In fact, from the pitcher’s point of view, pitching is on the left side of the pitch, so the slider on the outside of the right-handed hitter looks much farther than that of other right-handed pitchers. Sliders and sweepers have no choice but to look sharper. Sanchez went one step further and analyzed that even against left-handed batters, when using a changeup or sweeper, it has the effect of appearing farther away.안전놀이터
Sanchez said, “My strength is to raise the outcount with control over strong pitching. Of course, there is hope to raise redemption. However, I do not want to focus only on that, but I want to focus on raising speed while maintaining control.”
He showed confidence in his adaptation to the KBO. Sanchez said, “There is not much difference between Korean and American hitters. KBO hitters are also intelligent and often hit hard. I don’t think there are noticeable differences from country to country. Baseball itself is similar. The KBO official ball is also similar to the ball used in the United States. The ball used in Taiwan was too soft, so it took me a while to get used to it, but the KBO ball is not much different from the American one. It is not difficult.”
