Kiwoom Heroes starter Kenny Rosenberg pitches against the Doosan Bears during a Korea Baseball Organization preseason game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on March 15, 2025, in this photo provided by the Heroes. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, March 19 (Korea Bizwire) — For the new Kiwoom Heroes pitcher Kenny Rosenberg, getting the first Opening Day nod in his first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season is an “exciting” opportunity, but also one that comes with an added sense of responsibility.
As the only foreign pitcher for the Heroes — they are the only team carrying one such pitcher, while the nine other teams have two each — Rosenberg knows he has to set the tone in the season opener Saturday for his young rotation that features 18-year-old rookie Jung Hyun-woo and 20-year-old sophomore Kim Yun-ha.
“With great power comes great responsibility, right?” Rosenberg told Yonhap News Agency on Tuesday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, quoting a line popularized in “Spider-Man” comics and films. “I think that’s the case here, me being the only foreign pitcher and the burden that it bears but also the opportunity that it provides for the younger guys.”
Rosenberg, 29, said he has never started on an Opening Day before, not even in college. But he won’t be fazed by the challenges of taking on the Samsung Lions, the 2024 Korean Series runners-up, at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. It was the most hitter-friendly stadium in the KBO last year, and the Lions led the league with 185 home runs, including 120 at home. No other team even had 100 home runs in their own stadium.
“I’ve heard the Samsung fans are loud and passionate, and I know Daegu is a tough place to pitch. I know they were the second-place team last year,” Rosenberg said. “There are a lot of things that will be challenges, but those are all external factors. So for me, what I’m always focused on is the things that I can control: my routines, my preparation, watching video and making sure that we have a good game plan for their lineup, which is a powerful one.
“So I’ll do everything in my power to put the team in the best position I can, hopefully after six, seven or eight innings, to go win that first game and start off on the right foot,” Rosenberg added.
Rosenberg pitched to a 2.00 ERA in two preseason games against the NC Dinos and the Doosan Bears, allowing two earned runs in nine innings combined while striking out 11.
Though he still has limited experience facing KBO hitters, Rosenberg has already noticed some patterns.
“They have those couple of guys in the heart of the lineup who can really do a lot of damage. And then the rest of the lineups are very, very good contact bats who can hurt you in other ways, driving up the pitch count, putting the ball in play in a sacrifice fly situation or situation where they want to bunt a runner over,” he said. “They’re very skilled in situational hitting. So you really have to be careful throughout the lineup based on the situation. Even if the eight- or nine-hole guy isn’t a home run threat, he still has other ways to beat you.”
Rosenberg spoke Tuesday before his Heroes hosted the Lotte Giants in the final preseason game. It was also the only game of the day, thanks to the roof over the field at the only domed stadium in the league, and the four other games were canceled due to unseasonal snow across the nation.
The temperature stayed below 5 C throughout Tuesday, though it is expected to rise by the weekend.
Either way, Rosenberg, who is accustomed to pitching in cold conditions, will be ready.
“I’m no stranger to snow. I played in Salt Lake City the last three years, and I think it would be weirder if I had an Opening Day where the weather was above 60 (F),” Rosenberg said of his time in Triple-A in the Los Angeles Angels system. “So I’m built for this.”
(Yonhap)
