Lim Chang-Yong

Lim Chang-Yong (; born June 4, 1976 in Gwangju, South Korea) is a South Korean right-handed closer who plays for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Nippon Professional Baseball.

He is widely known as the fastest sidearm pitcher in baseball history (outside of American pitcher, Joe Warbis) who can throw a 160 km/h (99.4 mph) four-seam fastball. His signature pitch is his two-seam fastball which, due to its unique tailing movement has earned its nickname "Serpant fastball()". His other pitches include a high 70s slider with a sharp horizontal break, a mid 80s forkball, and a rarely used slow-curveball. He is one of the rare pitchers who can and does pitch in multiple pitching forms, freely pitching primarily sidearm and underhand, rarely low three-quarters at will.

Lim made his pro debut in 1995 with the Haitai Tigers in Korea Baseball Organization, and has been regularly picked for the South Korean baseball team as a relief pitcher since the 1998 Asian Games, and won the bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics and two Asian Game gold medals in 1998 and 2002.

Though predominantly known as a closer, Lim was converted to a starting pitcher in 2001, and spent three years as the Samsung Lions' starter before returning to the bullpen in 2004. There was interest from Major League squads but Lim decided to stay in South Korea.

In late 2007, Lim was signed by Japan's Tokyo Yakult Swallows in the hopes of bolstering their weak bullpen. In the 2008 NPB season, he...
Read More