User talk:“Ryu Hyun-jin doesn’t know my contact information? Then you should tell him.”
"Ryu Hyunjin, don't you know my number? Then tell me."
Manager Dave Roberts, head coach of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the U.S. Major League Baseball, who visited Korea, showed off his unique talk as soon as he was hit by "Korean Monster" Ryu Hyun-jin (Hanwha Eagles), who had a lot of trouble in the past.
Roberts played a special match of the 2024 MLB World Tour Seoul Series at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Wednesday. Team Korea, a team of 10 KBO League players and promising players, won the game 5-2.
Prior to the game against South Korea, Roberts attended an official press conference and explained the plans and plans for the 2024 regular season opening two consecutive games against the San Diego Padres at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 20th and 21st.
Roberts announced the planned innings of right-hander Bobby Miller, who will start against South Korea, and the plan to hire Gavin Stone, a pitcher who returned to the big league after surgery and rehabilitation. In addition, the fixed lineup of Shohei Ohtani, a "700-million-dollar man" as the second designated hitter, and the conditions of the players ahead of the opening two consecutive games were reported in detail.
While Roberts' interview was conducted in a serious atmosphere overall, there were also questions about Ryu Hyun-jin, who appeared in an exhibition game in the KBO League on the 18th.
Korean reporters reported that Ryu Hyun-jin had an interview without knowing Roberts' contact information. As soon as Roberts heard this, he laughed out loud after saying, "I should give Ryu Hyun-jin my phone number."
Roberts continued, adding a pausing joke, saying three numbers: "My numbers are 7, 6, 0...."
Ryu Hyun-jin transferred from Hanwha to the Los Angeles Dodgers through the posting system after the end of the 2012 season. He became the first player to directly move to the Major League from the KBO League.
Ryu has quickly adapted to the Major League stage. He has established himself as the starting pitcher of the Dodgers since his first year since his debut, with 14 wins and eight losses and an earned run average of 3.00 in 30 games in the 2013 season. In the 2014 season, his second year in the big league, he also served as a key starting pitcher of the Dodgers with 14 wins and seven losses and an earned run average of 3.38, in 26 games.
His relationship with Roberts began in 2016. Roberts has consistently given chances to Ryu, who underwent surgery for a shoulder injury and returned to the 2017 season after more than a year of rehabilitation.
Ryu was deeply trusted by Roberts, especially as the starter for the Dodgers' regular-season opener in 2019. Ryu even rewarded Roberts with baseball, posting a career-high 14-5 with a 2.32 ERA in 182 innings in 29 games.
Ryu Hyun-jin ended his relationship with the Dodgers and Roberts when he moved to the Toronto Blue Jays after becoming a free agent for the first time in his career after the 2019 season. Ryu Hyun-jin returned to his former team Hanwha in February after receiving the best treatment in the KBO league history of 17 billion won for eight years after his four-year contract with Toronto ended with the 2023 season.
Roberts still had fond memories of Ryu. On the 17th, he joked, "I haven't been able to reach Ryu since I came to Korea. I hope Ryu will hear from him when he sees this article," before joking, "Ryu Hyun-jin was a great pitcher, a good teammate and an interesting friend at the same time. I think he will play well when he returns to the KBO League. I have only good things to say about Ryu."
