Veteran pitcher Yoo Hee-kwan retires after eleven years in the South Korean professional baseball league. He is a fan favorite known for his on- and off-field antics. Also, he had a record of 101-69 with an ERA of 4.58 with the Doosan Bears.
Yoo is the only left-handed pitcher in the history of the Doosan Bears to win more than a hundred games. Also, his primary weapon is this slow ball. He appeared in six Korean Series with Doosan. In addition, he was part of three championship rosters.
He was the MVP in Game 5 of the 2015 Korean Series against Samsung Lions. According to betting odds experts, he also won the Choi Dong-won Award, KBO’s top award for pitchers.
Veteran Pitcher Yoo Hee-kwan Retires
Yoo had a lousy performance last season with a record of 4-7 and an ERA of 7.71. Also, it was the first time since 2013 when he failed to get double-digit wins. Furthermore, according to sports betting Korea reports, it was also the first time he started in less than twenty games.
Although Yoo didn’t have an outstanding pitching career, he is a favorite among Doosan Bears fans. According to online sports betting sources, his behavior outside the field made him close to fans. For example, he would show up in different hairstyles and hair colors. Also, he would appear in various Korean variety shows during the off-season.
He became more popular in 2017 when he started on a beer ad that featured his questionable dance moves. Yoo decided to retire after thinking about his future. Also, he saw those young pitchers perform well last season. Therefore, Yoo decided it was time for him to retire and let young pitchers take over. In addition, he said he would always cheer for the Doosan Bears.