"I asked a lot during the postseason and the regular season, but I still have a question."


"KBO reverse export myth" Meryl Kelly (35, Arizona Diamondbacks) was asked about Korea again. Kelly held a press conference before the first game of the World Series against the Texas Rangers of the 2023 Major League Baseball at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on the 28th (Korea Standard Time). Arizona announced ace Jack Gallen as its starting pitcher in Game 1, and Kelly, the second starter, is scheduled to start Game 2 on the 29th. Kelly stood in front of reporters ahead of Game 2.


One reporter told Kelly, "I asked a lot during the postseason and the regular season, but I still have a question. I came to Major League, where I wanted to return from playing in Korea, and I want to know how you adapted by pitching in other leagues. How long did it take to get used to it. What was the most difficult part?"


Kelly said, "I think I'm still adjusting. This game is generally a game of adaptation, especially in Major League Baseball. The first two years and the first year when I first stepped on the big league mound were definitely in a huge whirlwind. It was the fastest year that passed not only in baseball but also in my entire life," he replied.


"As I said earlier, if you go to the big leagues, you will be affected by external factors that you never expected. In addition to trying to deal with the world's best big league hitters, they have to pay attention to the expectations of their families and have more conversations with reporters about the game. After two years like that, I started to feel more confident and comfortable as a Major League pitcher," he added.



Prior to Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on the 22nd, Kelly was asked, "Did you dream of starting the big league postseason stage when you were playing in Korea, or was it a distant story that was hard to even imagine?"


Kelly said, "I dreamt every day. When I went to Korea, as I said before, my ultimate goal was to come back to the U.S. someday. When I was in Korea, the idea of 'you're this far' was nowhere in my head. I only accepted that my life in Korea was a career before the near future (the moment when I returned to the Major League) approached. I didn't accept that life in Korea was the end of my career," he said emphatically. 스포츠토토


"I had an ambition to sit here in the interview room and talk to you (journalists). And it was also my daily routine to dream like this. If you are in Korea, the Major League Baseball game takes place in the early morning, when it is time to wake up. So I checked the game when I woke up in the morning. First, I checked how the players and friends I know are doing in the big league. Then I paid attention to the teams that I thought could give me a chance and contribute when I went back to the U.S. one day. "There hasn't been a single day when I thought I wouldn't be able to play in the major leagues while I was in Korea," he said, satisfied with now that he achieved his dream.


Ahead of the first game of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers on the 7th, Kelly himself brought up memories of his time in Korea. At that time, Kelly was about to make his big league postseason debut, so reporters were curious about his "big stage experience."


Kelly said, "I won the Korean Series in the KBO in 2018. "The stadium is smaller than here, but the playoff experience at that time and the tremendous cheering enthusiasm at that time certainly gave me the experience to play in such a big game," he said.


Kelly helped Arizona, the sixth seed in the National League, advance to the World Series. Arizona defeated the Milwaukee Brewers (two wins in the wild card game), the Dodgers (three wins in the division series), and Philadelphia (four wins and three losses in the championship series) to advance to the World Series for the first time in 22 years since 2001. Kelly pitched in three postseason games and was active with a 2-1 loss, 17 innings and a 2.65 ERA.


He was also a hero who saved Arizona from elimination. Kelly started Game 6 of the Championship Series against Philadelphia on the 24th and led the team to a 5-1 victory by allowing one run in five innings. At that time, Arizona was in a situation where it was eliminated with one loss, losing two wins and three losses in the series, and thanks to Kelly's counterattack, he was able to continue the sensation to the World Series by lowering Game 6 and 7.


The American media is naturally very interested in Kelly. Kelly has become a completely different player before and after playing in the KBO League, and he is always asking questions about Korea in the most successful case scenario among KBO League players.



Kelly played as an ace for the SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) in four seasons from 2015 to 2018, recording 119 career games, 48-32, 729 ⅔ innings, 641 strikeouts and a 3.86 ERA. Ahead of the 2019 season, Arizona came to the big leagues by offering a two-year, $5.5 million contract, and has become the second starter in 127 games in five seasons so far this year, with 48-43 losses, 750 ⅔ innings, 681 strikeouts and a 3.80 ERA.


He is on a roll, steadily raising his ransom. Kelly was guaranteed $33 million for six years from 2019 to 2024. The first contract period was 2+2 years, with all club options of $4.25 million in 2021 and $5.25 million in 2022. Prior to the 2022 season, he also signed a two-year extension. $18 million is guaranteed by 2024. The signing bonus is $1 million, and the annual salary for 2023 and 2024 is $8 million. There is a club option of $7 million in 2025, and if the club refuses to execute the option, Kelly will receive $1 million in buyouts.


Will Kelly be able to peak the KBO reverse export myth by giving Arizona the World Series trophy. Kelly said, "I checked again because I thought it was the World Series. The preparation process was the same. I checked the game plan as usual. I'm trying to think of possible World Series games as normal. "If I take the mound, I'll recognize that it's a different game, but I'll try to act as if it's a regular season as much as possible," he said, vowing to do his best to win Arizona's World Series.