New foreign pitcher Cody Ponce (31) of the Hanwha Eagles is the "king of tattoos." His left arm, left chest, and left thighs are all tattooed on them, meaning mother, father and grandfather. His right arm is covered with tattoos on his wrist after playing in Japan for three years. He got the nickname of "Bear Ung" on his wrist, and Miyamoto's Musashi with two swords engraved on it. Now, he is thinking of getting a new tattoo where his right arm will remain. He wants to leave a trace of the country where he stayed as if he were stamping his copyright.안전놀이터

However, there is another tattoo that Ponce really wants to engrave. Number 99. Ryu's back number. I want to engrave "99" on the mound where there are many empty seats, and get Ryu's autograph below that," Ponce said with a big smile. That's how much respect he has for his great teammates who have dominated the big leagues as well as the KBO.

Ponce said, "I already bought all of Ryu Hyun-jin's uniforms in the Dodgers and Toronto. I think he topped the list with a 2.32 ERA in 2019. He is an amazing pitcher." Not only his skills but also his career. He takes Ryu's career more seriously because he knows well how hard it is to play baseball as a foreigner in an unfamiliar land. "I am also playing as a foreigner in Korea, but I think Ryu Hyun-jin was a foreigner when playing in the U.S. He must have had many difficulties starting with the language problem, but it is especially amazing that he overcame them," Ponce said.

Ponce, who is training at the Melbourne Spring Camp in Australia, threw the ball side by side with Ryu on Sunday. He pitched the third bullpen session. Overall, he was in good physical condition," expressing satisfaction. Whenever he threw a ball, he checked the data on the track man. I was told not to pay too much attention to the data from Yang Sang-moon, the coach of the team.

Such a meticulous personality becomes the opposite when you come down the mound. He is cheerful and energetic. After answering reporters' questions for a long time, he said, "I want to conduct an interview from now on," and rather, he poured out a barrage of questions. It is an unprecedented type.

Ponce has been active in Japan for three years. He has a better understanding of Asian baseball than other foreign pitchers. Nonetheless, he has many questions about Korea and the KBO League. He asked reporters what they should be most careful about in Korea. When I told him that driving after drinking would be a disaster, he said, "My wife is going to drive, so you don't have to worry." He also wondered where Daejeon would be. He tilted his head when he said, "Bakery is famous." He expressed his expectation as he said, "L.A. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that he was satisfied with this place." Ponce kept asking questions about where to go to buy a guitar in Daejeon and where coffee is good, saying that he wanted to learn how to play the guitar in Korea. The question of whether there is a U.S. military base near Daejeon was unexpected. "I want to thank the soldiers who are dedicated to my country. If there is a base nearby, I would like to give them a ticket to the baseball stadium," Ponce said.

Ponce constantly throws jokes about teammates he met for the first time. He loves to joke around and make friends. He has already learned a lot of Korean. When asked what he learned first, he said, "It is inappropriate to publish articles."

Ponce has been proven in the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for three years. Analysts say that if he displays his skills and capabilities, he will be able to display sufficient performance in the KBO league.

It is true that many foreign pitchers are visiting Korea to make their comeback in the Major League recently. Ponce said something different. "Rather than thinking about doing well here and going to the Major League, I should carry out my duties well here now. I will do my best to become a team that wants to play fall baseball and looks forward to winning the championship," Ponce said. Ponce is the starting candidate for the Hanwha Eagles' opening game this season. As Ponce promised, he will show off his skills