A bright and cute boy fan grew up to become the ace of the Twins.
The protagonist who made an unrealistic story like a youth baseball comic into a true story.
A book chronicles the growth of romantic pitcher Lim Chan-gyu, clad in pinstripes.

It may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is not an exaggeration to say that half of all elementary school boys in Korea are baseball fans.
And if that kid lives in Seoul, there's a very high chance he's a fan of the LG Twins.
Of course, there are many fans of the Doosan Bears and Kiwoom Heroes, and there are many friends who support other teams regardless of their hometown, but the number of young fans of the LG Twins, known as "Ellins," is truly enormous.
If I had to pick the most symbolic figure among the numerous 'Elins', it would definitely be Lim Chan-gyu.


Chan-gyu Lim started playing baseball in earnest as he grew up as 'Elin' and practiced since elementary school with the dream of joining the LG Twins.
And after going through the Korea Professional Baseball (KBO) rookie draft, he joined his current team, LG Twins.
Since then, he has been wearing the same uniform and playing from 2011 to 2025.
He signed a four-year free agent contract in the winter of 2023, and is expected to continue pitching at Jamsil in 2026 and 2027. It's difficult to separate LG from Lim Chan-kyu.
No matter how hard I try to imagine Lim Chan-gyu wearing something other than the Twins' pinstripe uniform, I can't picture him.
If you were to look for a literal example of a 'successful fan' in the baseball world, it would be difficult to put anyone ahead of Lim Chan-gyu.

Because he possesses such a unique story, a player who can convey a romantic and moving experience to fans, Brainstore Publishing has decided to publish a book titled "Baseball Player Lim Chan-kyu - The Romantic Rise of a Pitcher Ace." Beyond a one-club career with the popular LG Twins, Lim Chan-kyu has now established himself as a starting pitcher representing the entire KBO League. This book will explore the storytelling and romance of this player.

From a career perspective, but more than anything, I think Chan-gyu Lim is a player who could easily be turned into a book, given his human charm and rich story.
After communicating through various channels with people inside and outside the publishing company, as well as baseball reporters and authors, the person chosen as the protagonist of the new book was none other than Lim Chan-gyu.
Of course, the fact that they have been showing tremendous performance this year also played a part.

Lim Chan-gyu is the starting pitcher representing the LG Twins, and is a franchise star who has continued his career only with LG since entering the Korean professional baseball league in 2011.
He was drafted by the LG Twins in the first round of the 2011 draft with a high ranking of 2nd overall, and from his debut year, he played an all-weather role as a starter, middle reliever, and closer, posting a good record of 9 wins, 6 losses, 7 saves, and an ERA of 4.46.
The fact that he appeared in a whopping 65 games in his debut year shows how high the team's expectations were for him, or perhaps how much they relied on the 19-year-old rookie.

However, the high expectations and the good performance that met those expectations led to poor results the following year and thereafter.
From his second year to nearly five years, Lim Chan-gyu's performance was not particularly good, and he had a difficult time due to slump, injury, and military service.
However, Chan-gyu Lim slowly and silently overcame those difficult days and began to show potential again.
If he had not wisely endured those difficult times, there would be no Im Chan-gyu today, and this book would not have been created.

Lim Chan-gyu showed potential for a comeback, posting decent performances of 6 wins, 10 losses, and a 4.63 ERA in 2017 and 11 wins, 11 losses, and a 5.77 ERA in 2018.
Although it wasn't an outstanding performance, it wasn't bad at all for a player who had been in a deep slump for a long time and had returned to full-time play on the first team.
But sustainability was a problem.
The improved appearance could not be maintained for long.
After showing a good performance for one or two years, it fell short of expectations and collapsed again.
As the so-called 'pongdang pongdang' season, which is often talked about in the baseball world, came and went, both the team and the fans began to gradually lower their expectations.

But Lim Chan-gyu didn't just endure those difficult times.
During that time, I pursued change, gained enlightenment through change, and began to perfectly embody that enlightenment through my body and movements.
There is an episode that is described in great detail in the book, in which he personally sought out the legendary Lee Sang-hoon, a senior player for the LG Twins and the leader of the pitching academy at the time, and earnestly requested coaching. This can be said to be a passage that gives a glimpse into Lim Chan-gyu's boldness, execution ability, and will.

After all that hard work and hardship, Chan-gyu Lim became a better player.
No, he became a completely different player.
He is not a player who is difficult for fans to trust because of his ups and downs in every game and season, but a player who can instill firm faith, a pitcher who can be expected to do well, a true ace.
And in 2023, he played a key role in leading the LG Twins to their first championship in 29 years.


He made his presence felt widely, posting excellent performances of 14 wins, 3 losses, and an ERA of 3.42 in the 2023 season, 10 wins, 6 losses, and an ERA of 3.83 in the 2024 season, and 11 wins, 7 losses, and an ERA of 3.03 in the 2025 season.
Now, with his outstanding performances of 10+ wins for three consecutive years and an ERA in the 3.00s, he has gone beyond being a mainstay of the Twins' starting rotation and has grown into one of the few "homegrown" aces in the KBO League, a player who protects the pride of the Korean professional baseball league, which is dominated by foreign pitchers.

As such, a book about such a player is being produced, and it will be a meaningful title not only for LG Twins fans but also for many readers who love professional baseball.
As a starting pitcher representing the Twins, a top-tier popular baseball team, and as someone who spent his childhood and growing up as an avid fan of his team, various stories unfold.
It will be a special book not only for the individual players, but also for the club and fans.


Although he still has the image of a baseball boy, Chan-gyu Lim is now a mature veteran in his early to mid-30s.
It's time to look back on the times I lived as a professional baseball player, as a player for the LG Twins.
You could say that all players are like that, but it is rare to find a player who is as passionate about baseball as Lim Chan-gyu.
This book is also full of baseball stories.
It could be said that this essay is filled with baseball stories from beginning to end.


Through 『Baseball Player Lim Chan-gyu - The Romantic Pitcher Ace's Growth Story』, we will learn a lot about Lim Chan-gyu, a player we only vaguely knew through his plays, records, and images.
This book, as well as the life of Lim Chan-gyu, which can be considered the original source of the book, are truly interesting.
No, to say it's interesting is an understatement.
Great and wonderful.
Lim Chan-gyu's story, which shows what it means to live a life that doesn't give up and a life that proves itself, is about to unfold.

Here, a famous scene that will be talked about again and again appears.
Lim Chan-gyu, who changed his windup motion by slowly lifting his left foot, challenged Lee Dae-ho with a fastball this time as well.
Lee Dae-ho also swung his bat strongly as if to take up the challenge, but missed.
Lee Dae-ho smiled awkwardly at the boldness of rookie Im Chan-gyu.
And then he was out on a groundout on the next five pitches, a fastball.
All five pitches thrown against top hitter Lee Dae-ho were fastballs.
It was the moment that impressed upon baseball fans across the country what kind of pitcher Lim Chan-gyu was.
--- Chapter 1.
From "Jamsil, April 17, 2011"

Without realizing it, one or two desires began to form in my head.
My mind was full of thoughts about Rookie of the Year, closing pitcher, and saves.
I thought that, as a closing pitcher, I had to throw fast and strong balls.
But no matter how fast the ball is, it's useless if I can't throw it where I want.
From now on, I will focus on eliminating unnecessary strength and focusing on the balance of my pitching.
If you can throw the ball where you want, you can still get a hitter with a 140 km/h fastball.
I decided to go back to the beginning.

--- 「Chapter 2.
From "Promising Player and Savior"

Honestly, I felt very lonely after the surgery.
I also felt shabby.
Every time, the fans who encouraged me online were a great source of strength.
When the article about the surgery came out, I was so grateful for the supportive comments and voices on social media.
I felt like I was alone, but not alone, and my heart felt warm.
I've always been grateful to my fans, but I felt even more grateful during my rehabilitation after surgery.
--- 「Chapter 4.
From "Elbow burst after military service"

Even if you can't throw 150 km/h, there seems to be a way to make 140 km/h look like 150 km/h.
Wouldn't it be possible if you consistently work on your curve and changeup?
I discuss various pitch combinations with the catcher, such as a curveball followed by a fastball, a fastball followed by a changeup, and sometimes a changeup followed by another changeup.
If you start slow with a changeup and then unexpectedly throw a fastball, you can strike out like a hard-throwing pitcher.

--- Chapter 5.
Among the "Starting Pitchers"