Correspondent Moon Dae-hyun = Yang Eui-ji (36, Doosan), who is considered the best catcher in the history of the KBO League, has become strangely small only on the international stage. In 2023, once again given an opportunity, he aims to restore honor.
Yang Eui-ji was selected for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team list announced earlier this month. The only catchers in this national team are Eui-Ji Yang and Ji-Young Lee (37, Kiwoom), and Ji-Young Lee is the first player on the national team. It is inevitable that the proportion of positive will is large.
Yang Eui-ji expressed his determination for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be held in March at the initiation ceremony held at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 11th.
Yang Eui-ji, who started technical training earlier than usual to participate in the WBC, said, “I have not been able to perform well in the national team. I am grateful to coach Lee Kang-cheol for picking me up again.”
Yang Eui-ji continued to participate in major international competitions such as the 2015 Premier 12, 2017 WBC, 2018 Jakarta/Palembang Asian Games, 2019 Premier, and 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but her performance was not good.
Eui-ji Yang has a career batting average of 0.169 (14 hits in 83 at-bats) and 1 home run in international competitions. Even at the most recent international tournament, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he was silent with a batting average of 0.136 (3 hits in 22 at-bats).
Yang Eui-ji, who has a career batting average of 0.307 and 228 homers in the KBO League, is a performance that would hurt his pride. Because of this, he was even given the disgraceful nickname of ‘domestic use’.
Eui-ji Yang, who is the best catcher in Korea both in name and reality, is essential to make up for the sluggish performance in the national team so far in this WBC. It is also an important issue for the overall performance of the national team.
South Korea won the semifinals at the 2006 WBC and the runner-up in the 2009 tournament, but lost face in 2013 and 2017 by being eliminated in the first round. In this tournament, which will be held for the first time in six years due to the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19), you have to reach at least the semifinals to meet the expectations of the people.
It is important for Yang Eui-ji, who will play the role of supporting the center batting line while wearing a starting mask, to revive the dull feel of the bat in order to raise the honor of the team and individual again.
Due to the nature of international competitions where players face pitchers they have not encountered before, it may not be easy to increase the sense of hitting within a short period of time. However, not all athletes struggle in international competition. Rather, there are players who perform better in the national team than in the league.
Yang Eui-ji has already faced numerous high-level pitchers in the KBO league, so he should be able to prove his skills in international competitions. 스포츠토토
Leading the pitchers as a catcher is also very important. It seems that there will be no problem breathing with NC’s Koo Chang-mo and Lee Yong-chan, who have been breathing for several years. Compatibility with veterans Kim Kwang-hyun (SSG) and Yang Hyeon-jong (KIA), who have gone through prenatal battles, is also expected.
However, working with young pitchers who have not been matched much is expected to be a variable. There are quite a few pitchers selected for the first time in the national team, such as So-Jun Sohn (KT), Woo-Young Jeong (LG), and Won-Jung Kim (Lotte).
Yang Eui-ji said, “I have never played with the young pitchers selected for the national team because the team is different, but I am familiar with them so I don’t have to worry about breathing.”
Yang Eui-ji also expressed expectations for battery breathing with Doosan juniors Kwak Bin and Jeong Cheol-won. Yang Eui-ji played 27 games with Kwak Bin in 2018, but he never received a ball from Jeong Cheol-won.
Yang Eui-ji said, “Kwak Bin is a player I’ve liked since he was a rookie. Jeong Cheol-won received the Rookie of the Year award last year, so he has a lot of confidence.” Emphasized.