With the joining of big leaguers who will play with the Taegeuk mark in the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC) later than expected or unclear, attention is focused on whether the national team will write the best scenario within the given conditions.
The national team will train for the WBC in Tucson, Arizona, USA for two weeks from February 14th. During this period, it is expected that it will be difficult to see Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres), Tommy Edman (28, St. Louis Cardinals), and Choi Ji-man (32, Pittsburgh Pirates) working together with domestic players.
Ha-seong Kim and Edman overlap with their team’s spring training schedule and the national team’s training period. San Diego plans to call in fielders participating in the WBC by February 16, train them until early March, and then send them to the national team.
National team coach Lee Kang-cheol (57) is constantly communicating with the big leaguers to confirm whether and when they will join. Kim Ha-seong conveyed his intention to join the team during March 1-3, when the national team will meet at Gocheok Dome. The timing of Edmund’s joining could be similar. Coach Lee told Edman that he would like to join during training at the Gocheok Dome.
However, there is a high possibility that these two will not be able to play in the national team’s own practice game to be held during this period. Whether or not to actually participate depends on the will of the players and their teams, but the basic policy of the tournament is to join the national team from the time the official schedule begins. The official schedule of the national team is before the evaluation match against the Orix Buffaloes and the Hanshin Tigers, which will be held at the Osaka Dome on March 6 and 7. 안전놀이터
Although these two do not have enough time to breathe with the national team, coach Lee also looks positively at the fact that they will play an exhibition game in the spring camp of each team. It is thought that he can improve his ability to adapt to international competitions in that he joins the national team after seeing the fast balls of big leaguers in an exhibition game. This is the reason why I don’t think it’s very bad even if it’s just two times since joining the national team.
Choi Ji-man could not seek consent to participate in the WBC in Pittsburgh. His salary contract is still pending. If Pittsburgh does not allow Choi Ji-man to participate in the WBC out of concern for his physical condition, who underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment in his right elbow last November, the national team will have to select a replacement player. Coach Lee looked for substitutes at positions other than first baseman in case of an emergency, but Choi Ji-man’s joining at the top is the best scenario for coach Lee.
Coach Lee was the first member of the national team to reach the Jangdo. Coach Lee, who boarded a plane to the United States on the 27th, went to Arizona early and began planning the national team with his team, KT Wiz.