“I wish I could take some beasts with me. Unexpectedly, (Kim) Ki-yeon (catcher) could be chosen.”
LG Twins coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop, who confirmed the preliminary entry for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, confessed his heart.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and the Korea Baseball Organization announced on the 28th that they have confirmed and announced the preliminary list of 198 players for the Asian Games baseball team to be held in October.
The final list for the Asian Games consists of 21 players under the age of 25 or under the age of 4 years, and 3 wild cards that can be drawn regardless of age limit or age. Since it is played during the season, only up to three players are selected per team in consideration of the power loss of each club.
Too many players have been named, and it is difficult to attach any significance yet, but 180 pros (86 pitchers, 19 catchers), including 147 players (17 newcomers) and 33 wild cards (86 pitchers, 19 catchers) under the age of 25 or less than 4 years old , 47 infielders, 28 outfielders), and 18 amateur players (10 pitchers), the most prominent feature of this preliminary list is that it is centered on a clear keynote of generational change.
A total of 17 players belonged to LG in this roster. There were 11 pitchers (9 right-handers and 2 left-handers), with 4 infielders, 1 outfielder and 1 catcher on board. In particular, the number of pitchers is the highest among the 10 clubs. 메이저놀이터
However, since the convocation of the national team and the tournament schedule take place between September and October, when the ranking battle is in full swing, if key resources are selected for the national team, it is not possible to just like it as a team. This was the same for LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop.
Manager Yeom, who was asked about the preliminary entry ahead of the home KIA Tigers match (3-4 LG loss) on the 28th, said, “First of all, each team has three people, so we will definitely go with three people on our team.” He should not lean toward the pitcher,” he said with a bone.
LG, which has many young and promising pitchers including Go Woo-seok and Jung Woo-young, who became the king of salvation and hold king last season with 42 saves and 35 holds, respectively, is evaluated as the best in the league in terms of pitching this season. Prior to the game on the 28th, LG’s team average ERA was 3.28 (based on the KBO website), ranking first among 10 clubs.
Director Yeom said, “(Park) Myeong-geun will also want to take (Go) Woo-seok, (Lee) Jeong-yong, and (Jeong) Woo-young. If (Yoo) Young-chan continues to improve (skills), he will likely become a candidate.”
He also foresaw the possibility of catching catcher Kim Ki-yeon. Kim Ki-yeon, who was born in 1997 and joined LG in 2016, completed military service early in 2019 and 2020, and has been recognized for his potential despite his young age, and is working as a backup catcher for Park Dong-won all season.
Director Yeom Kyung-yeop said, “When I saw it, (Kim) Ki-yeon could be selected unexpectedly. I don’t have a catcher, so I think (Kim) Ki-yeon has the most potential as a catcher at that age.”
As Director Yeom said, if the age limit is 20, the skills of catchers in the KBO League will drop significantly. Looking back at 10 clubs, except for KIA, which has Han Seung-taek (29), all of the main catchers in 9 clubs are in their 30s.
Director Yeom Kyung-yeop said, “(Kim Ki-yeon) is good regardless of ball, defense, or batting. In particular, blocking and throwing are not pushed by other players at all,” he said.
He added, “When (Park) Dong-won thinks he is tired, even while playing games, (Park Dong-won) says ‘I’m tired’ whenever (Kim) Gi-yeon leaves. There is no problem in defense,” he said.
Meanwhile, the final 24-member list of the Asian Games baseball team will be decided in June. The final selected national team players will be convened in September, train in Korea, and then depart for Hangzhou, China, where they will compete from October 1 to 7.
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