Oh Seung-hwan performs first live pitching

“Pitched balls jumped. No pitches were flying in a way that was easy to hit.”

This is what Greg Garcia, a teammate who watched pitches by Oh Seung-hwan of the St. Louis Cardinals at the batter’s box, had to say on Thursday. Oh performed pitching with a hitter at the batter’s box for the first time in a training session, which took place at Jupiter’s Roger Dean Stadium in Florida, the U.S. on the day.

In an interview with the local media outlet "St. Louis Post-Dispatch," Garcia said, “Oh Seung-hwan pitched two seam fastballs, cutter, and changeup-like forkballs, as well slow curves and sliders. Most of his pitches were great, and made it to all different sections of the strike zone.” He added, “His pitches will be effective because there are few pitchers who wind up (like Oh Seung-whan).” Pitching coach Derek Lilliquist also said, “I was impressed by the diversity of his pitches.” Oh said, “My current goal is to avoid giving hits whichever pitches I throw.”

In an interview with the local media "Pioneer Press," Park Byung-ho, who was engaged in training in Fort Myers, Florida on the day, said “(Choo Shin-soo and Kang Jung-ho) told me that I could adjust (my batting style) only when I recognize something after facing off an adequate number of pitchers.” Asked who is more powerful between him and Miguel Sano, who was his team’s cleanup hitter in last year’s second half, Park bluntly said, “Sano,” smiling. Park said, “I have too many names to memorize,” adding, “I am trying hard to remember all those names.”

강홍구기자 windup@donga.com