“It's amazing, cool, respectable, proud, and congratulations…”
Ryu Hyun-jin (38) of the Hanwha Eagles felt a surge of emotion when he saw the historic accomplishment of his former teammate Clayton Kershaw (37·Los Angeles Dodgers) from their time together in Major League Baseball.
Kershaw achieved his personal 3,000th strikeout record during the home game at Dodger Stadium against the Chicago White Sox on the 3rd (Korean time). He became the fourth player in Major League history to record 3,000 strikeouts while playing for one team, following Walter Johnson (Washington Senators·3,509), Bob Gibson (St. Louis Cardinals·3,117), and Steve Carlton (Philadelphia Phillies·3,031). Among them, only Johnson and Gibson retired as one-club men after achieving 3,000 strikeouts. Kershaw has built his 3,000 strikeouts solely with the Dodgers since debuting in 2008, and a one-club man retirement seems likely.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who was part of the Dodgers' starting rotation alongside Kershaw for seven years from 2013 to 2019, witnessed his journey closely. During their time together, Kershaw achieved 1,490 strikeouts. Having observed nearly half of Kershaw's 3,000 strikeouts up close, Ryu Hyun-jin felt a special connection to Kershaw's record.
Ryu Hyun-jin expressed his thoughts on Kershaw’s 3,000 strikeouts, saying, “It’s amazing and cool. I respect him and I’m proud of him. It’s such a significant record. I sincerely want to congratulate him,” while flashing a bright smile.
Since their last year together in 2019, Kershaw has not been able to complete the required innings. As he passed mid-30s, his velocity noticeably dropped, and he has faced various injuries throughout the years. Recently, he underwent surgeries during the offseason for two consecutive years, causing delays in his season starts. Although he has fulfilled his dream of winning a World Series, he has not given up on his career and successfully reached the milestone of 3,000 strikeouts.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who witnessed Kershaw's prime, finds great significance in Kershaw's perseverance in throwing the ball now, despite not giving up. He noted, “Kershaw has faced numerous difficulties in recent years while not being in good shape, yet he achieved this incredible record. Given the struggles he's endured, the significance of the record seems even greater.”
Like Kershaw, who is one year younger, Ryu Hyun-jin has also entered the twilight of his playing career in his late 30s. Three years ago, he faced a significant hurdle by undergoing elbow ligament surgery at the age of 35 during his time with the Toronto Blue Jays, followed by a year-long rehabilitation, but he did not crumble. He persevered, returned to the mound, and after achieving significant success in Major League Baseball, he returned to his former team Hanwha last year.
Kershaw's 3,000 strikeouts serve as yet another motivation for Ryu Hyun-jin. Having recorded 1,443 strikeouts over nine seasons in the KBO League and 934 strikeouts over ten seasons in Major League Baseball, Ryu Hyun-jin currently holds a total of 2,377 strikeouts across both leagues. While Yang Hyun-jong (KIA) has the most strikeouts in the KBO League with 2,149, Ryu Hyun-jin has recorded the highest number of strikeouts among Korean pitchers when combining both leagues.
Ryu Hyun-jin has 623 strikeouts remaining to become the first Korean to reach 3,000 strikeouts. Last year, he signed an eight-year contract when returning to Hanwha, allowing him to play until 2031. Without counting this year, he still has six more years left, and if he records 100 strikeouts each year, he could achieve the milestone of being the first Korean to reach 3,000 strikeouts. This season, he has already shown consistent strikeout ability with 70 strikeouts over 80 innings, averaging 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings.
Ryu Hyun-jin remarked, “I’m not ready yet. There’s still a long way to go,” not viewing the 3,000 strikeouts as an immediate target. Given the distance still ahead, the recent resurfacing of his past statement about wanting to be the Hanwha manager after retirement seemed somewhat awkward. He had expressed his dreams of becoming the Hanwha manager in an interview during rehabilitation in the spring of 2023, saying he wanted to be a manager who opens the door to the coaching room wide and engages with players. It was a vision and aspiration for his distant future.
However, several years ago, this statement was edited and disseminated in a way that made it seem like Ryu Hyun-jin wanted to take on the role of Hanwha manager immediately, without context or explanation. His desire to become a manager who communicates with players in a Major League way could be perceived as an indirect criticism of Kim Kyung-moon, the current Hanwha manager, and other leaders in the league. Consequently, Ryu Hyun-jin took initiative to directly clarify the misunderstandings.
He stated, “I don’t know how this story came about. I’m currently a player, and there’s still a long time left on my contract. It seems like I’ve caused unnecessary misunderstandings while the team is leading the league, and I apologize to the manager and the team.” For Ryu Hyun-jin, who still has some distance to cover before reaching the milestone of 3,000 strikeouts, becoming the Hanwha manager is a task far into the future. This year, he continues to play a pivotal role as a starting pitcher for Hanwha, contributing significantly to their pursuit of first place, longing even more for his first championship.
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