'I want to be like him': Skills with humility to match have teammates of LG's Carrasco in awe

LG Twins’ pitcher Carlos Carrasco has shown that both his skills and character are major league caliber, and the Twins are reaping the benefits.

LG signed Carrasco, a 39-year-old Venezuelan with 112 career MLB wins, ahead of the second half of the season. Carrasco made a spectacular KBO debut against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa District, southern Seoul, on Aug. 1. He threw seven perfect innings, though he did not earn a win as the game ended in a 2-2 tie. Still, he left a strong impression.

Carrasco then earned his first KBO win against the Kiwoom Heroes on Tuesday, allowing two runs on five hits over six innings. It was a valuable victory in a pitching matchup against KBO League star An Woo-jin, who allowed two runs over five innings.

By winning its first game after a break caused by extreme heat, the Twins also gained some much-needed momentum to shake off their second-half slump.

Carrasco's fastball averages 145.6 kilometers per hour (90.5 miles per hour), around the league average. But he keeps hitters off balance with a wide repertoire that includes a slider, sinker, cutter, changeup and curveball. Combined with his strong command, the arsenal has allowed Carrasco to live up to the Twins' hopes that he could become a right-handed version of Hanwha Eagles’ Ryu Hyun-jin.

"It makes you think, 'So this is what pitching is,'" said Twins senior coach Kim Jung-jun.

What makes Carrasco stand out, however, goes beyond his performance on the mound.

"He has the fundamentals down incredibly well and knows how to be considerate of his teammates," Twins captain Park Hae-min said.

"After a play ends, Carrasco steps down behind the mound and checks that every fielder has returned to position before getting back on the mound."

Carrasco said that though he is the only one on the mound, he tries to pitch only when the teammates playing defense behind him are ready.

The Venezuelan described it as a sign of deep respect for his teammates and a promise he has made to myself.

His humility has also impressed his teammates.

"When we warm up, it's usually the youngest players who clean up the water bottles, but Carrasco helps out, too," second-year pitcher Kim Young-woo said. "He carries exercise equipment like mats himself. The portable elephant-style air conditioner in the dugout collects water, and he even emptied that himself. Staff members or younger players could have done it, but he said that he’ll do it.”

“It made me think that someday I want to be a veteran, and a person, like him."

Carrasco is also always willing to talk with the other pitchers. Young players often ask him technical questions, and he readily takes the time to explain things without showing any annoyance. He also exchanges opinions on pitching with fellow foreign pitcher Anders Tolhurst and pitching staff leader Im Chan-kyu.

Carrasco threw seven perfect innings in his debut while working with backup catcher Lee Ju-heon rather than regular starter Park Dong-won. Ten days later, Park was behind the plate. Carrasco quietly accepted the team's decisions based on catcher workload and other circumstances, producing strong results with both.

Carrasco remarked that Lee Ju-heon and Park Dong-won are both excellent catchers and communication with them has been perfect.

MLB presents the Roberto Clemente Award, named after the Hall of Famer who died in a plane crash in 1972 while traveling to deliver relief supplies to earthquake-stricken Nicaragua. The award has since been given to players who make significant contributions to their communities on and off the field.

Carrasco received the award in 2019. While undergoing treatment for leukemia, he visited and supported children battling the same disease. He also created a reading program bearing his name to encourage children to read and has continued volunteering to help homeless people, single mothers and military veterans.

Now, across the Pacific in Korea, Carrasco continues to make a positive impact.

BY KIM HYO-KYOUNG [[email protected]]