“Above average in balls, hands, feet and shoulders” Kiwoom Dawson arrives in Busan on 21st… 1st team registration on 22nd→Debut expected

Kiwoom Heroes’ new foreign batsman Ronnie Dawson is expected to start after arriving in the country on the 21st and being registered with the first team on the 22nd, following the release of Edison Russell.

Kiwoom released Russell on the 13th. Russell, who wore a Kiwoom uniform in 2020, was released before the season ended after hitting .254 with two home runs, 31 RBIs, 22 runs scored and a .653 OPS in 65 games. Expectations were high as he was a key part of the Cubs’ World Series (WS) championship run, but he underperformed.

After parting ways with Kiwoom and playing in the Mexican League, Russell was reunited with Kiwoom prior to this season and had a better season than his first in the KBO, hitting .286 with four home runs, 42 RBIs, 59 runs scored and a .739 OPS in 59 games, but a wrist injury late in the first half knocked him out of the lineup and he showed no signs of improving as time went on, leaving him with another bitter taste of release.

With Russell out of the picture, Keum moved quickly. At the same time as announcing Russell’s release, Kiwoom signed Ronnie Dawson from the American Independent League. The deal totalled $85,000 (approximately $110 million). “We needed to increase our scoring production through various attacking routes in order to rebound in the second half of the season, so we made a strategic change,” said Kiwoom head coach Ko Hyung-wook.

Dawson was drafted by the Astros in the second round, 61st overall, of the 2016 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft and spent two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds in 2022, going 1-for-8 with a .125 batting average in four games. In the minors, he hit .247 with 72 home runs and 581 RBIs in six seasons, including a .282 average with 70 RBIs and 13 home runs this year for independent Lexington.

More than a week after signing with the Kiwoom on the 13th, Dawson has yet to step foot on Korean soil. The reason: visa issues. However, this is expected to be resolved soon and Dawson will soon be seen in a Kiwoom jersey. According to Kiwoom officials, Dawson is expected to arrive on the night of the 21st and be registered with the first team on the 22nd.

When asked, “Will Dawson be registered tomorrow (22nd),” prior to the Sajik Lotte match on the 21st, head coach Hong Won-ki said, “Dawson came to Korea (a few days ago) and did some simple training on the second team pitch. He’s been playing until recently, so I don’t think there’s a big confirmation process. Once he arrives today, he will be registered tomorrow.”

Dawson’s advantage is that he’s quick on his feet, which allows him to play a variety of tactics despite being a foreigner. “I didn’t watch a lot of videos, but I judged him to be above average in terms of stealing bases, fielding, defence, offence, and shoulders,” said Hong Won-ki. I think the department in charge also saw those aspects and made the selection.”바카라사이트

Dawson arrived in Busan on the 21st and is expected to be registered on the 22nd, barring any major issues. “First of all, I think we should think about what Dawson did the most rather than the centre fielder for one more day and make a lineup tomorrow,” the manager added.

Meanwhile, Kiwoom, who finished the first half of the season with seven straight losses, registered Kim Dong-hyuk, Kim Dong-heon, Lee Won-seok and Kim Byung-hwi before the game and formed a starting lineup of Lee Hyung-jong (right fielder), Kim Hye-sung (second baseman), Lee Jung-hoo (centre fielder), Lee Won-seok (designated hitter), Song Sung-moon (third baseman), Lee Ji-young (catcher), Kim Su-hwan (first baseman), Kim Joo-hyung (shortstop) and Kim Jun-wan (left fielder).