“I’m leaving to a round of applause thanks to ‘Team Bears’” Jang Won-jun announces his retirement as a player

Left-handed pitcher Jang Won-jun (38, Doosan Bears) hangs up his jersey.

The Doosan Bears announced on Monday that Jang Won-jun has informed the organization of his intention to retire from active play. In a statement, Jang said, “The choice to leave the Jungden Grounds was never easy. However, I made this decision because I think the time has come for me to stop playing baseball,” said Jang. “I would like to thank owner Park Jung-won for allowing me to start my second baseball life as a free agent, and for giving me more opportunities when I was struggling with injuries.”스포츠토토

He continued, “I’m glad I was able to fulfill the last goals I set for myself. However, when I think of my juniors, I can’t stop thinking about them,” he said, adding, “We have many talented juniors on the team, so I will support them to train diligently and lead the team to a leap forward.” “I remember the faces of coach Lee Seung-yup, the coaching staff, and my teammates. It was all thanks to ‘Team Bears’ that I was able to leave with applause at the end,” he said. “I will never forget the cheers of the fans, who gave me tremendous strength when I was lacking. I am so grateful.”

Jang was drafted by the Lotte Giants in the first round of the 2004 Korea Baseball Entry Draft out of Busan High School. Prior to the 2015 season, he signed a free agent contract (four years, totaling 8.4 billion won) to join Doosan. In his first year with the club, he went 12-12 with a 4.08 ERA in 30 games, leading the team to its first championship in 14 years. The following year, in 2016, he went 15-6 with a 3.32 ERA in 27 games and led the team to the title.

In nine years in a Doosan uniform, Jang compiled a 47-42 record, 12 shutouts and one save with a 4.49 ERA in 188 games. This year, he became the 11th player in KBO history and the oldest left-handed pitcher in history to reach 130 wins (37 years, 9 months, 22 days) and the ninth player in history to reach 2,000 innings pitched. He is 3-5 with a 5.27 ERA on the season, but has been plagued by injuries, big and small, and did not win a game from 2019 to 2022.