There are too many good resources, so we have to think about ‘happy thinking’. The World Baseball Classic (WBC) Korean national team needs to organize traffic ahead of the tournament.
The national team, led by KT Wiz coach Lee Kang-cheol (57), will begin their WBC schedule with a group stage match against Australia on March 9th.
In this tournament, Korea selected major leaguer Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego) and overseas Korean player Tommy Edman (28, St. Louis) as infielders. The two players are known for their defense in the big leagues.
The number of domestic infielders who can match them is formidable. First baseman Park Byeong-ho (37, KT), second baseman Kim Hye-seong (24, Kiwoom), third baseman Choi Jeong (36, SSG), and shortstop Oh Ji-hwan (33, LG) all won Golden Gloves last year. Also, there is Kang Baek-ho (24, KT), a resource for first baseman, although he was sluggish last year. It can be seen as a proven resource in the KBO League. 메이저놀이터
Choi Ji-man (32, Pittsburgh) failed to make the final entry due to the club’s opposition, but the infield is still solid. However, there are only 4 seats. With Park Byeong-ho and Kang Baek-ho expected to split first base, the remaining three positions are key.
Currently, second baseman Edmon, shortstop Kim Ha-seong, and third baseman Choi Jeong are strong candidates. Edmund is a Major League (MLB) Gold Glove second baseman, and Kim Ha-seong was also the team’s starting shortstop last season. MLB’s strongest keystone combination is possible. Choi Jeong-eun is the only professional third baseman in the national team. Even for the stability of his position, this lineup is evaluated as the best scenario.
However, shortstop and third baseman may have different combinations. Edmon and Kim Ha-seong can play all infield positions except for first base. Therefore, one of the two players can play third base and Oh Ji-hwan can play shortstop. Manager Lee Kang-cheol also mentioned the possibility of using Choi Jeong and others as third base.
Since major leaguers can join from March, there is a possibility that Kim Hye-seong will receive more opportunities in the first round of the tournament. She is also a player who can play in any position in the infield, so she can play as a starter in the first and second rounds of Tokyo instead of the big league keystone combination.
When Korea performed well in the WBC, it was with a solid infield team. “In 2006, coach Park Jin-man (47) showed world-class good defense, and in 2009, coach Park Ki-hyeok (42) helped a lot,” said Kim Tae-gyun (41), a sports commentator at KBS N who went to the WBC four times.
It is evaluated that the national team also formed a lineup comparable to this one. However, as there is a saying, ‘It is a treasure only when beads are placed together’, the glory of the past can be reproduced only when the perfect combination is completed until the end.
