For closer pitcher Ko Woo-seok (25, LG Twins), the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) is a pain. He built his body all winter thinking only of the WBC, but his shoulder inflammation prevented him from competing. Ko Woo-seok, who was thinking about the situation at the time, cried out, saying, “Even if I try not to think, I can’t. I tried to do something, but my arms couldn’t do it.” He continued, “I wanted to try something, but not being able to even try is the scariest and most difficult thing.”
Go Woo-seok, who graduated from Chungam High School, walked only on the silk road. He joined the team as the first choice in 2017 and jumped to the bullpen for the first team the following year. Since 2019, he has been the finishing pitcher. Last year, he went 4-2 with 42 saves and a 1.48 earned run average in 61 appearances. He became the youngest player in the league to record 40 saves (24 years, 1 month, 21 days) and became the first personal save king. With a fastball of 150 km/h and a lot of guts, he is called the frontrunner of ‘Post Oh Seung-hwan’. Compared to Oh Seung-hwan (Samsung Lions), who is the league’s all-time leader in saves, he doesn’t show his emotions well with his poker face. He was a person who was in the spotlight every year, so this rehabilitation treatment was a unique experience.
Go Woo-seok said, “If the 1st team is sunny and the 2nd team is shady, I think it’s time to settle my mind after seeing (2nd team players) working hard for a spot even in a difficult environment. I learned that passion in the 2nd team.” . Ko Woo-seok, who built his body in the rehabilitation group, digested the Iksan KT Wiz 2nd team match on the 11th and the Hampyeong KIA Tigers 2nd team match on the 15th. It was in 2020 that he threw the last ball in the second group.
While experiencing District 2 for the first time in three years, it was not uncommon to be surprised by the facilities different from District 1. Go Woo-seok said, “I thought a lot, ‘The environment is still not good’. In the second team expedition, the speed gun was not fixed well. Seeing (the players) doing their best in the poor environment, I thought that I had to work really hard.” emphasized once. The 1st group and 2nd group systems are 180 degrees different. If the first team is major league, the second team is minor league. There is a big difference in the diet, the stadium, and the training environment. Ko Woo-seok took it as an opportunity to regain his original mind while living in the 2nd Army, albeit briefly. Rather than resenting the sudden shoulder pain, he felt the gratitude of the 1st team as he watched his teammates train silently.
The same goes for looking at the Taegeuk mark. Since the WBC is a tournament held before the opening of professional baseball, the pressure felt by the players was not small. There was a high risk of exposure to injury because I had to improve my physical condition faster than in previous years. The real Ko Woo-seok injured his shoulder. You may resent the competition, but you don’t. He said, “I have never thought of avoiding the Taegeuk mark or being a burden. Every time I do it, I feel honored and I want to achieve good results. He continued, “If there is anything I want in the future, it is to continue to build up my skills and get good results every time I go out. I think that’s what the national team should do. I think there is a reason to work hard just for that fact because the club receives a salary.” .
On the 18th, Ko Woo-seok returned to the 1st team in the match against Jamsil NC Dinos. 1 inning, 3 strikeouts, no runs perfect. He announced the ‘return of the king’ by putting a fastball at 156km/h into his mitt.메이저사이트 “I was able to do this again, but it’s a pity because I think I couldn’t (at the WBC),” he said. The tournament that gave him the most pain after joining. However, it served as a foundation for growth.
Go Woo-seok, who has become hardened, says: “Because it’s not about dying. It will be an opportunity to become stronger.”