“It was a chance that is hard to experience in life.”
The LG Twins of the Korean professional baseball league are letting go of foreign player Coen Wynne after a short six-week contract.
Coen Wynne appeared as the starting pitcher in a game against the Hanwha Eagles at Seoul's Jamsil Stadium on the 28th, recording 4 innings, 5 hits (1 home run), 1 strikeout, and 4 earned runs. He was replaced in the 7th inning with a score of 1-4, and the team managed to tie the game.
It was a game filled with regrets. That outing marked Coen Wynne's last game. He allowed a leadoff home run to Florial in the 1st inning and, with 2 outs and runners on second base in the 3rd inning, he gave up 3 consecutive hits, resulting in an additional 3 earned runs. He was replaced with Lee Woo-chan in the 5th.
Coen Wynne came to Korea on April 21 after signing a temporary replacement player contract totaling $11 million (approximately 16 million won) with LG. LG registered foreign pitcher Hernandez as a rehabilitation player, anticipating a 6-week recovery from a thigh injury, and recruited Coen Wynne as a substitute for the injured player.
LG had previously invited Coen Wynne as a test player for the upcoming Asian quota system during the spring camp in February. Coen Wynne, who represented Australia in the Premier 12 tournament last November, trained with LG players for two weeks at a spring camp in Arizona.
Coen Wynne made his KBO debut against the SSG Landers on the 4th, achieving a quality start with 6 innings and 3 earned runs for a victory. He allowed 4 earned runs in 5 innings against Samsung on the 11th, 1 earned run in 4⅔ innings against KT on the 17th, and recorded 7 earned runs (6 earned) in 3⅓ innings against Lotte on the 22nd.
Coen Wynne concluded his outing against Hanwha with a record of 5 games, 1 win, and 1 loss, finishing with a 7.04 earned run average. He made a decent contribution beyond the numbers. Coach Youm Kyoung-youb noted before the game on the 28th, “He has fulfilled his role well enough. He has pitched 4 times, and the team has 2 wins and 2 losses. There was one time when Coen Wynne pitched well but the bullpen failed to hold a 5-run lead, resulting in a comeback loss. If a 5th starter has a .500 winning percentage, that is a success.”
He mentioned that if he refines his forkball and enhances its value, it could be used as a deciding pitch along with a fastball in the mid-140 km range as a bullpen pitcher. Regarding whether they might meet again next year under the Asian quota, Coach Youm said, “It's difficult to say anything at this point.”
After the game on the 28th, the LG team gathered in front of the dugout to bid farewell to Coen Wynne, who had served as a temporary foreign player for six weeks.
Captain Park Hae-min represented the team in presenting a framed photo and the score sheet from Coen Wynne's first victory on May 4 against SSG. The coated score sheet included messages of support written by each team member for Coen Wynne.
Coen Wynne held the microphone and expressed his gratitude towards the club for providing a great opportunity. He thanked all the teammates and staff who welcomed him and accepted him as a part of the team. “I feel like I've received a chance that is hard to experience in life. I think I will never forget the support of the fans who filled the stadium.”
Following that, Coen Wynne and the LG players took a commemorative photo on the mound. Coen Wynne did not lose his smile until the end.
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