Return to Taiwan’ collapsed due to ban on abnormal pitches
Taiwan’s United Daily News (UDN) reported on the 26th (Korean time) that Sanchez is about to sign a contract with the Tung Lions. “The negotiations went quite smoothly for two weeks,” said Sutaian Tung, the head of the group. We will be able to finalize the contract in a few days,” he said.
“From the time Sanchez went to Korea, Tung expressed his intention to prioritize the Lions when he returns to Taiwan,” Sutaian said. I got along well with my teammates and coaches while I was on the team. I think that will help me come back to the team,” he added.
Venezuelan right-hander Sanchez signed an international amateur contract with the Washington Nationals in 2012 and recorded a total of 210 games (77 starts, 674 ⅓ innings) in 10 minor league seasons until 2022 with 44 wins, 33 losses, 9 saves and 3.94 strikeouts.
He headed to the Asian stage this year without being able to perform in the Major League. He dominated the league with 8 wins, 1 loss and 1.44 strikeouts in 10 games (9 starts, 62 ⅔ innings) in Tung, Taiwan. Before moving to Korea in early July, he pitched well enough to win multiple games in the Taiwanese league and rank first in ERA.
KIA, which was looking for a new foreign pitcher to fight back in the second half of the year, released both Sean Anderson and Adonis Medina, recruiting Sanchez along with Thomas Panoni. Sanchez, who signed a contract with KIA on the condition of $280,000 a year, made an intense announcement against KT in Suwon on July 9th, when he made his KBO League debut, with five hits (one home run) in six ⅓, 10 strikeouts and one run with no outs.
However, Sanchez has been a subject of controversy since his debut with his unique squat moves from inconsistent double-kicking when pitching to check. As the opposing teams continued to appeal over their anomalous form, the judges banned Sanchez from double-kicking. He also ordered consistency in the check movement, but Sanchez was confused as the standards were applied differently depending on the referee.
Sanchez, who has been making anomalous pitches throughout his career, was restricted in both double-kicking and check movements in Korea. He couldn’t throw his own ball 100% and no longer showed as intense a pitch as he did in his debut. He had only 4 wins, 4 losses, 5.94 strikeouts and 59 ⅔ in 12 games (11 starts and 63 innings) in Korea, including a month-long absence due to an elbow injury at the end of August.
KIA’s fall baseball was also frustrated in sixth place at the end of the season due to the bad news of the main players’ injuries, and Sanchez’s recruitment also failed. Although it was not possible to make a unique anomalous pitch in Korea due to various restrictions, it is expected to revive again in Taiwan, which allows both double-kicking and squat check movements.