San Diego Game Selection’ Moon Dong-ju «I’m 20 Years Old... I’ll Push my Age»

MLB players receive my salary as a daily wage... I think I’m learning a lesson»

«Senior Ryu Hyun-jin advised me not to overdo it... «The speed limit will not exceed 150 km.»

Moon Dong-ju (20, Hanwha Eagles), who was selected as the starting pitcher for a practice game with the San Diego Padres of the Major League Baseball (MLB), expressed his determination, saying, «I will show my spirit.»

After completing official training for the MLB Seoul Series warm-up game held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 16th, Moon Dong-ju met with reporters and said, I am only 20 years old in American age, and I will push my age.

«I think it will be a fun game,» he said.

Moon Dong-ju, born in December 2003, is the ace of the Korean baseball team that is undergoing a generational change. 홀짝게임

He started in the final against Chinese Taipei at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in October last year and pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 hits and no walks. He pitched a perfect pitch with 7 strikeouts and no runs, leading him to win the gold medal.

At the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) 2023 held in Japan last November, he pitched against Australia in the group stage, the first game, and contributed to the victory by allowing 2 runs in 5⅔ innings.

Moon Dong-ju, who left a strong impression in every international competition, was selected as the starting pitcher for the baseball team’s first game of the MLB Seoul Series evaluation game without any disagreement.

Moon Dong-ju is determined to throw the ball with confidence in this game as well.

He said, «I want to prove why I went to my first game and make (my name) known to the world.»

Moon Dong-ju, who has long dreamed of advancing to the big leagues, said about his feelings about facing MLB hitters, «The opponents are players who receive my salary as a daily wage,» and said, «I will play with the mindset that I will learn a lesson,» making everyone around him laugh made.

When asked, «Is there a player you would like to play against?» he said, «I wanted to play against Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers), but I am a little disappointed.

However, it is an honor to play against San Diego’s great players.

«I will throw it with the mindset of learning from senior Kim Ha-seong,» he said.

Dong-joo Moon thinks the MLB Seoul Series practice games are special, but he has no intention of overdoing it.

He believes that practice games are just practice games.

Until last season, he was in MLB. Team senior Ryu Hyun-jin, who returned to Hanwha after playing an active part, also gave some solid advice to Moon Dong-ju.

Moon Dong-ju said, «Before joining the national team, senior Ryu Hyun-jin told me not to throw the ball faster than 148 km/h (not to overdo it), but later he said he would allow me to throw the ball up to 150 km/h.»

He added, «Senior Ryu Hyun-jin told me that MLB practice games are important, but the KBO League regular season is even more important.»

He added, «Like senior Ryu said, I will not overdo it.»

He said, «I didn’t have a lot of velocity, so I won’t throw the ball faster than 150 km/h in this game as much as possible.»

The baseball team led by coach Ryu Joong-il will play a practice game against San Diego at 7 p.m. on the 17th and against the Dodgers at the same time on the 18th.

The starting pitcher for the Dodgers game is Kwak Bin of the Doosan Bears.