Gold Glove infielder Tommy Edman (28. St. Louis Cardinals), who will join the Korean national team in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), expressed his excitement at the match against Japan.
Edman appeared on the ‘MLB Network’ on the 21st (Korean time) and talked about participating in the WBC Korean national team in March. Edmund was included in the final 30 entries for the WBC Korean national team announced by coach Lee Kang-cheol on the 4th. 메이저사이트
The WBC is free to choose a participating country depending on the nationality of the athlete as well as the country or place of birth of his or her parents. Born to an American father and a Korean mother, Edmund was the first Korean-American to wear the Taegeuk mark. Switch hitter Edmon, who received the Gold Glove in the National League second baseman category in 2021, forms a keystone combination with Kim Ha-seong (San Diego) as a special infielder with a good triplex of airlifting.
Edmund said, “I am the first player to play for the Korean national team as a player not born in Korea. He expressed his anticipation for the Korea-Japan match, saying, “I am excited to be part of the Korea-Japan match as a member of the Korean national team.” Destiny’s rivals, Korea and Japan, were evenly matched with 4 wins and 4 losses in a total of 8 matches in the 1st and 2nd WBC.
Edman said, “I kept getting questions about the rivalry between Korea and Japan. Since the beginning of the WBC, there has always been competition between the two countries, and I really look forward to being a part of it this time.”
In addition, Edman said, “During the last season, KBO officials were contacted, and we had a meeting in September.” Both Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arena, who played for the U.S. national team at the WBC in 2017, said it was the greatest baseball experience of their lives. So, as soon as I heard the news that I was qualified for the Korean national team, I decided to seize the opportunity. It was a very easy decision,” he said.
During the WBC, Edmund also serves as an interpreter. Ki-Hwan Koo, who served as an interpreter for Seung-Hwan Oh (Samsung) in the major leagues in 2016-2019 and was in charge of interpreting for manager Matt Williams KIA in the KBO League in 2020-2021, helps Edmund. Edmund said, “I have to speak Korean more than now. I want to learn some basic phrases,” he said, expressing his will to communicate in Korean.
In addition, he will also reunite with pitcher Kim Gwang-hyun (SSG), who has been with his teammate for two years in St. Louis in 2020-2021. Edmund said, “I am looking forward to meeting Kim Kwang-hyun. You can also learn Korean from him. I hope Kim Gwang-hyun will teach me like a few years ago.” Kim Gwang-hyun, born in 1988, joined the WBC national team as the best pitcher along with Yang Hyeon-jong (KIA).
