I think we have to learn what to learn.”
Lee Jung-hoo, the present and future of Korean baseball. He experienced successive failures in international competitions, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in Japan two years ago and the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) this year. And I learned a lesson. That means more practice is needed.
On the 15th at Gocheok Sky Dome, Lee Jung-hoo’s expression was not very bright. He was an ace who wielded a hard hit, participating in all 4 matches in this WBC and recording a batting average of 0.429, but the pain of the first round ‘excitement’ did not seem to have gone away yet.
Lee Jung-hoo is the best player in Korean baseball, but he has never been able to smile in international competitions. At the present time, when the ‘golden generation’ has passed, he is virtually leading the national team alone. Even in international competitions, his bat was hot, but he couldn’t bring victory alone in baseball. He learned lessons from a series of failed international competitions.
Lee Jung-hoo said, “I received a lot of stimulation through the Olympics and the WBC. He lost too big to Japan. He thinks he has to learn what to learn.”
“In fact, whenever there is an international competition, we call the national team. I understand that Japan convenes a national team every year. Of course, that’s something we (the players) can’t do.”
Compared to other sports, the concept of a friendly game has not been established in baseball. To put it bluntly, there is no sport in Korea where friendly matches are actively held, except soccer. When an international competition is held, it is all about convening and preparing the national team in time. That is why it is difficult to greet international competitions well prepared.
Lee Jung-hoo said, “I don’t know what the KBO will do in the future, but we just do our best in the league and if the KBO or the association makes a friendly game, we have to work hard there too.” “There were many young players in this national team. I think I was very nervous because I was facing a big stage in a situation where I had no experience. It would be better if I could gain experience through friendly matches.”
Realistically, it is difficult to schedule friendly games due to the nature of baseball, which begins in the spring and ends in the early winter. Also, even if there is no schedule problem, there are few countries that play baseball properly. It takes a lot of effort to organize a friendly match. It’s a real problem.
Even so, it is hard to deny that a more thorough preparation process is needed to achieve good results in international competitions.메이저사이트 It is important to somehow gain experience even in difficult situations.
Lee Jung-hoo said, “In fact, I think the association should take care of things like friendly matches. When a friendly match is held, we just have to go out and work hard. Then you can accumulate experience and expect good results.”
“The more friendly matches there are, the more helpful it is. It feels different when you wear the national team uniform. Rather than performing on a big stage in a state where everything is unfamiliar, it will definitely be different if you go out with some experience.”