Noh Kyung-eun (39, SSG) got up from her seat and headed to the bullpen when it looked like her team was going to take the lead. After throwing a few strong pitches in the bullpen, Noh was called upon to take over for starter Kirk McCarty in the bottom of the sixth inning against Lotte at Sajik Stadium on April 21.
With two outs, the team was trailing, and the bases were still loaded, the opponent was Yoo Kang-nam, who had the ability to punch. However, the experienced Noh was not deterred by the cheers of a packed Sajik Stadium. She struck out Yoo Kang-nam on three pitches to preserve her team’s 4-2 lead.
The most amazing thing happened in the seventh inning, when the team led 4-2. Noh Kyung-eun seemed to warm up and started throwing hard fastballs against the leadoff man, Ko Seung-min. It was a battle of strength between a veteran pitcher in his early twenties with a lot of power and a forty-year-old veteran. In the fifth inning, a four-seam fastball sent Seung-min’s bat flying. He then got Park Seung-wook and Kim Min-seok to fly out to right field side by side to complete his mission.
According to Trackman, which provides tracking data for all nine KBO clubs, Noh threw two fastballs that reached 150 kilometers per hour. The second and fourth pitches she threw to the final batter, Kim Min-seok, clocked in at 150.0 kilometers per hour. On both occasions, Kim swung at the pitches, but they fell short of the plate and were fouls. Noh’s 150-kilometer pitch can be given credit for hitting 150 kilometers twice and not being a ridiculous ball.
Noh threw a fastball that reached an average velocity of 148.7 kilometers per hour on the day. According to the data tracked by Trackman this season, she recorded both her highest fastball velocity and highest average velocity so far this season. Even Kyung-eun Noh, who started the game on the 20th, had back-to-back games and still threw a powerful ball without any faltering.
It’s worth noting that Noh was a starter at the beginning of last year, but she didn’t have a 150 mph fastball on the Trackman radar anyway. He had thrown a few pitches over 149 mph, but it was clear that 150 mph was his limit. Normally, a veteran pitcher’s velocity should decrease as they age. However, Noh defied this rule and touched the 150 mph wall.
Seung-hwan Oh (41, Samsung) is the only pitcher in KBO history to throw 150 km at the age of 40. According to Trackman data, he threw 150.0 km on September 3 last year against Doosan in Jamsil, just like Noh Kyung-eun. However, Oh Seung-hwan did not break 150 kilometers in any other games last year. Until 2021, the 150km mark was still occasionally seen, so this stone has not escaped the weight of time. Noh’s 150 kilometers is more symbolic.
Noh is known for her self-care. Compared to her juniors, she doesn”t overdo it at all. There are many ways to regulate your conditioning, but Noh”s style is to train yourself with a lot of volume. The accumulated energy in her body is what allows the 40-year-old veteran to still engage in power dueling with her younger counterparts on the mound.
His performance this year has been crucial to SSG’s charge to the top of the standings. In 23 innings pitched in 22 games this season, he has a 2-1 record, 2 saves, 11 holds, and a 1.96 ERA. His relatively frequent hold situations have forced him to make a lot of appearances, but he doesn’t seem to be running out of gas, as evidenced by his 150 kilometers on the 21st.
Closer Seo Jin-yong has had a tremendous start to the season, but Noh Kyung-eun’s contributions are not far behind. Whether it’s the seventh, eighth, or sixth inning, Noh is always tasked with intercepting the opponent’s most important batting order. She is more often called upon in so-called “high leverage” situations than Seo is when there are no runners on base. Considering this, Noh’s value to the team shines even brighter. It will be interesting to see if she can keep this vibrancy with proper management. The journey to become the season’s holder has begun in earnest. 메이저사이트