“Plutco is over.”
The end of the regular season. LG Twins manager Yeom Kyeong-yeop quickly erased foreign pitcher Adam Plutko (32) from his mind as he confirmed first place and planned his best effort in the Korean Series. Plutko had not been on the mound since late August due to a pelvic contusion. Coach Yeom adhered to the idea that Plutko had to pitch at least 1-2 games in the regular season in order to pitch in the postseason, but Plutko never stood on the mound again.스포츠토토
The LG team announced on the 27th, “Plutko will leave for the United States at 4 p.m. He has devoted himself to rehabilitation, but after consultation with the club, it was determined that it would be difficult for him to pitch in the Korean Series, so he will leave the country on the 27th.”
Plutko also had differences of opinion with the club regarding the extent of injury recovery. When Plutko was first diagnosed with a pelvic contusion, he sent related data to a US hospital to get an opinion. Hospitals in the U.S. said it would take 4 to 5 weeks to recover, but hospitals in Korea said it would be possible to return sooner than that. Coach Yeom and the club hoped that Plutko would trust the Korean medical system and move forward, but as injuries are a sensitive topic, they respected Plutko’s wishes and did not push for his return any further.
Coach Yeom said last month, “I worked very hard to include Plutko. I think we did everything we could to include him. If he says he can’t throw, then I can’t do it either,” and in fact, from that point on, he was in the league. I decided to play the Korean Series without Rutko.
Even though it was painful, the head coach had to make a cool-headed decision to win the championship. Ahead of this season, Plutco renewed a contract with LG for a total of $1.4 million, including $300,000 in down payment, $800,000 in annual salary, and $300,000 in incentives. LG treated him as a top-tier foreign ace in the KBO League, and Plutko recorded 11 wins, 3 losses, 123⅓ innings, and an ERA of 2.41 in 21 games before getting sick, laying the foundation for LG to take the lead. It was certainly not easy to prepare to abandon such a player.
Coach Yeom conducted camp training in preparation for the Korean Series at LG Champions Park and confirmed three starting pitchers, including Casey Kelly, Choi Won-tae, and Lim Chan-gyu. Coach Yeom said, “Even without Plutko, there will be no major setback in our strength,” and he believed in the strength of the starting lineup including Kelly, Won-tae Choi, and Chan-gyu Lim. The pitching order may vary depending on the opposing team in the Korean Series, but Kelly is the undisputed number one starter. She is worried about Kim Yun-sik and Lee Jeong-yong as the only 4 starters. Coach Yeom notified the players who had to prepare for the starting mound of their duties early to avoid disruption due to Plutko’s departure.
Although the process of parting ways with the club was difficult, Plutko said an earnest goodbye and boarded a plane to the United States. He said, “LG fans, I’m so thankful for being a haven for my family over the past two years. I’m grateful beyond words. My son went to school here, and my wife really loves Korea. This was a special time for all of us.” “Thank you so much for making it.”
He continued, “Teammates, you know how I feel about you. We’ve worked really hard over the past two years. I’ve worked hard to help LG win even when I’m on the mound and throwing the ball, and even when I’m not on the mound. LG “I firmly believe that we are building a dynasty. Although it is a very small part of the process, I consider it a blessing to be able to do it together. I am truly grateful,” he added.
Lastly, Plutko said, “I will support LG for the rest of my life. I can’t explain in words what LG means to me. LG will continue to move forward and win,” and emphasized his regret of not being able to be together until the end. .