The World Baseball Classic (WBC) Korean national team, which had been confined to the word ‘main’ in international competitions, showed off its ‘color’ in the last game against China. A small ball based on mobility, it was the outfit that best suited the Korean baseball style at this point.
The Korean national team, led by head coach Lee Kang-cheol, won a ‘cold game’ victory 22-2 in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Group B group stage 4 match against the Chinese national team held at the Tokyo Dome in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan on the 13th.
Korea suffered a shock defeat 7-8 in the first match against Australia on the 9th. And in the match against Japan on the 10th, the match ended with a score of 4-13, feeling the overwhelming difference in skill. After losing two matches in a row, Korea’s chances of advancing to the quarterfinals became very slim, and as Australia defeated the Czech Republic 8-3 on the 13th, Korea suffered the ‘shame’ of being eliminated in the first round of the WBC three times in a row following 2013 and 2017. have suffered먹튀검증
The Korean national team, which had been disappointing throughout the tournament, such as playing a game that left regret even in the process of winning its first WBC victory against the Czech Republic on the 12th, has been stuck in the frame of ‘main match’ and has been playing baseball. However, on the 13th against China, players who had not been named in the starting lineup so far appeared and finally showed their ‘color’.
Coach Lee Kang-cheol hinted at the change before the game, saying, “There are players who are not in good shape, and players who have not been able to go out in the past are going out.” . And Korea: Haemin Park (1st baseman) – Hyeseong Kim (2nd baseman) – Jeonghu Lee (center fielder) – Haseong Kim (3rd baseman) – Byungho Park (designated hitter) – Gunwoo Park (right fielder) – Jihwan Oh (shortstop) – Jiyoung Lee (catcher) – Jihoon Choi (left fielder) ), the lineup was organized in order.
He served as the starting second baseman throughout the tournament, but Tommy Edman and Kim Hyeon-soo, who were disappointing at bats, were left out, and Yang Eui-ji and Park Byeong-ho also started the game from the bench. Instead, the Korean national team included fast-footed Park Hae-min, Kim Hye-seong, Choi Ji-hoon and Oh Ji-hwan in the starting list. And the effect of their input was properly revealed in the Chinese game where the basics were weak.
Korea ran like crazy from the first episode. He showed the king of ball baseball. In the first inning, Korea’s lead batter, Park Hae-min, got a walk and opened the way to attack. After that, he easily got a chance to score with a successful steal. And Lee Jung-hoo hit the right time and got the first point. Continuing with Korea, Lee Jung-hoo stole second base, and this time Kang Baek-ho called home a runner. The attack method using mobility worked well.
The process of getting 8 points in the 3rd inning was also outstanding. In Korea, Oh Ji-hwan attempted a surprise bunt in the safe first and second base chance created by Kang Baek-ho and Park Kun-woo’s consecutive hits, and made an infield hit through quick feet. Afterwards, the opponent’s wildfire and Lee Ji-young’s hit widened the score to 6-2. And in the following 1st and 3rd base, Choi Ji-hoon added a point with a bunt hit. It really shook the Chinese infield to the point where they couldn’t come to their senses.
The foot baseball did not stop here. After Choi Ji-hoon’s bunt hit, Korea’s Park Hae-min succeeded in producing another hit with a series of surprise bunts. Riding the momentum, Korea continued bombing the Chinese mound and succeeded in widening the gap to 12-2. Until the match against Australia-Japan-Czech Republic, there was no ‘color’ to be found. Although it was a match against weak China, it was clear that the attack routes were very diverse apart from accumulating points.
Riding momentum, Korea met all the conditions for a ‘cold game’ with Kim Hye-sung’s timely hit and Park Byeong-ho’s push-off walk in the top of the 4th inning, followed by Park Gun-woo’s slamming home run. And Kim Ha-sung finished the schedule with a full run, setting a new record for the most points scored in a WBC game. It is fortunate that the last game of the tournament was decorated with a victory. However, it was obviously regrettable that the ‘color’ of Korean baseball, which was not found even against Australia, Japan and the Czech Republic, was found only at the end.