The goal of the Korean national team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), led by coach Lee Kang-cheol, is to advance to the semifinals and board a flight to Miami, USA. The evaluation of overseas baseball media is rather thin. On the 1st, Baseball America, an American baseball magazine, analyzed the power of 20 countries participating in the WBC and ranked Korea 7th. The media picked the Dominican Republic as the first candidate for the championship, Japan as the second, and the United States as the third.
However, the media said, “Korea can aim for the upper round by harmonizing former and current major leaguers and Korean league stars.” The five teams can cause a change at any time,” he predicted.
Objective power might be 7th바카라, but Korea’s ‘keystone (shortstop and second baseman) combination’ is the best. This is because two high-level infielders, Kim Ha-seong (San Diego) and Tommy Edman (St.
Coach Lee plans to appoint Kim Ha-seong as the shortstop and Edmund as the second baseman. Kim Ha-seong was named one of the three finalists for the Gold Glove in the MLB National League shortstop last year. Edmund is the 2021 National League Gold Glove winner for second baseman. With the two players returning to Korea on the 1st, the Korean national team finally became complete. The national team will go through recovery training at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 2nd, play a practice game against SSG on the 3rd, and leave for Japan on the 4th, where the first round of the WBC will be held.
Edmund, who was the first foreign player of Korean descent to be selected for the WBC national team, set foot on Korean soil in the morning of the 1st amid warm welcome from domestic fans. Edmund, who was born to a Korean immigrant mother and an American father, is an American citizen, but last year he was asked by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to play for the Korean national team. The WBC can compete in one of the parents’ countries of origin. Entering the arrivals hall with a bright expression on his face, Edmund said, “I am happy to join the Korean national team. I will try to achieve many victories,” he said, expressing his aspirations.
When asked about the Korea-Japan match in the first round of the finals held on the 10th, he said, “I have heard of the rivalry between Korea and Japan. I know very well how fierce the war between Korea and Japan is.” Married to a Japanese woman, he said, “My wife is of mixed Japanese-Filipino descent. I told her wife that she should cheer for Korea,” he joked. His wife is going to come to Japan to watch her match. He did not hide his anticipation of playing against Japanese player Ras Nutba, who was selected for the Japanese national team as a teammate of his team, St. Louis. He said, “I think the Korea-Japan match will be more fun because of Nutba. We decided not to say anything to each other even if we teased each other according to the results of the Korea-Japan match.” Regarding breathing with Kim Ha-seong, “I am looking forward to playing with Kim Ha-seong. He is a really good player, so I think he will learn a lot.”Kim Ha-seong, who entered Korea this afternoon, replied, “Thank you for saying that to a player who is better than me.” Ha-seong Kim said, “As much as I prepared hard, I will be able to produce good results. He thinks he should go all the way to America, of course.” Regarding fellow teammate Darubishu Yu (Japan) of San Diego, a team with a strong starting pitch in the match against Korea on the 10th, Kim Ha-seong said, “If Darubishu comes out as a starter for the Korean match, I will share the information I know with my teammates.” The players will be able to attack well,” he showed confidence.