Korean baseball rewrote the history of humiliation by going through the process of being eliminated in the first round of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) three times in a row.
The baseball team led by head coach Lee Kang-cheol won a cold game victory in the 5th inning, 22-2, in the final game against China held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 13th.
However, it was a meaningless result. The national team, which recorded 2 wins and 2 losses, was defeated by Australia (3 wins and 1 loss) and failed to advance to the second round after securing third place in Group B. In Group B, Japan, with a 4-game win, took first place, while Australia advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time ever.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) showed a clear will to revive the popularity of baseball through this tournament. However, not a few voices of criticism began to emerge from the preparation process, such as the selection of the training ground, and concerns were also focused on the rigid atmosphere within the team where there was no room for relaxation.
In the end, they lost their first game against Australia, and everything was twisted. In particular, in Group B, to which Korea belongs, there was no country that operated a professional league except for Japan, and most of the players were amateurs or semi-professionals playing ‘two jobs’, so the shock of being eliminated in the first round was even greater.
Director Lee Kang-cheol lowered his head. After the match with China, coach Lee said, “This result came out because I was lacking,” and said, “I sincerely apologize to baseball fans.”
Kim Hyun-soo, who served as the captain of the national team, also expressed his regret. Kim Hyun-soo revealed his intention of retiring from the national team, saying, “All the players prepared well, but they couldn’t show their skills. I didn’t think it was the last time, but it seems to be the last time.”
He continued, “All the players were good, and the coach was really good at matching them. I was the captain, but I think there was a lack. he added.
However, a rather disappointing remark came out of Kim Hyun-soo’s mouth. Kim Hyun-soo said, “I heard a lot of words of comfort from seniors who came out a lot on the national team, but it’s a pity that people who don’t think easily,” he said.
In fact, in the process of preparing for the WBC,메이저사이트 some baseball players spit bitter words toward the national team, drawing attention from fans and media.
For Kim Hyun-soo, who has dedicated himself to the national team for more than 10 years, this is a point that can be both unfair and disappointing. So, he may have poured out his determination from the position of a veteran representing the team.
However, the national team selected this time showed lower-than-expected performance, and some players were pointed out that they were professional players because they could not build their bodies properly. Even the seriousness and desperation that were the unique colors of the baseball team in the past, such as lack of basic skills, easy play, and self-sacrificing appearance, could not be found.
It is also at this point that angry public opinion looks at Korean baseball with an unfavorable gaze. In such a situation, Kim Hyun-soo, who played the role of captain, showed an attitude of not accepting criticism by discussing the experience of the national team. In a situation where the atmosphere is not good, he had to do everything he had to say, and when he speaks his convictions, the timing must be right to gain sympathy.