Raul Alcantara of the professional baseball Kiwoom Heroes expressed his desire to show good performance for the remainder of the season and to retire in the KBO League.
Alcantara signed a contract with Kiwoom for a total of $400,000 on the 19th as a replacement foreign player for Yasiel Puig. He entered Korea on the 27th and met with the team before the game against the Doosan Bears at the Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome, which will take place on the 30th, and threw 35 pitches in the bullpen.
Kiwoom’s manager Hong Won-ki noted in a pre-game interview about Alcantara's bullpen pitching, "I saw Alcantara pitch. He threw about 35 pitches for evaluation, and everything seems to be going smoothly in preparations" and added, "It’s difficult to assess based on the bullpen pitching, but we exchanged opinions on what he feels and how we will operate in future games. Seeing him pitch with various situations in mind, he seems likely to be a significant force on the mound."
Kiwoom is set to have Kenny Rosenberg return from rest on the 31st, and Alcantara is expected to start on June 1. Manager Hong Won-ki stated, "Since Alcantara has been pitching in Mexico, we haven’t set a specific limit on his pitch count. Given that it’s his first game, we should see how it goes."
Alcantara expressed his joy in returning to Korea, stating, "I’m very happy to be back in Korea. My family all loves Korea, so I wanted to come back. I was surprised when I first received the offer from Kiwoom. Then, I was incredibly happy at the thought of being able to return to Korea. Throughout the negotiation process with Kiwoom, I had high hopes of returning to Korea."
Alcantara, who will face his former team Doosan in his first start, said, "I don’t know what kind of game will unfold on Sunday, but I will pull out all the stops to create a good game. I will do my best. It’s nice to see my Doosan teammates, but I will win the game," with a smile.
Alcantara, who left Doosan due to an elbow injury last season, explained his physical condition, saying, "Today, I threw 35 pitches in the bullpen, and both my location and breaking ball control were very good. I’m satisfied with the bullpen performance. I took a break according to the doctor's recommendation and underwent treatment. Now, I have no problems throwing at all." He emphasized that his fastball velocity was up to 97 mph (156.1 km/h) in the Mexican league.
Alcantara, who welcomed his return to Korea, stated, "My goal this year is to show the best performance possible and to pitch for a long time in the KBO League. I want to pitch for another two years before retiring here."
Meanwhile, Kiwoom set up its starting lineup for the day with Song Seong-mun (third baseman), Choi Joo-hwan (designated hitter), Lee Ju-hyung (center fielder), Kim Keon-hee (catcher), Kim Tae-jin (second baseman), Lim Byeong-wook (left fielder), Lim Ji-yeol (first baseman), Park Joo-hong (right fielder), and Eo Jun-seo (shortstop). The starting pitcher is Kim Seon-ki.
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