The Asian Games national team will change drastically with a new tactic of eliminating controversy, focusing on new players, and including amateur players.
On the 28th,토토사이트 the KBO (President Heo Gu-yeon) and the Korea Baseball Softball Association (Chairman Lee Jong-hoon) confirmed and announced the preliminary list of 198 players for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team to be held in October.
The characteristics of the Asian Games baseball team roster is that it accelerates the keynote of a clear generational change and at the same time opens the door to amateur players.
The reserve roster for the national team includes 147 players (17 newcomers) and 33 wild cards (86 pitchers, 19 catchers, 47 infielders, 28 outfielders) under the age of 25 or less than 4 years old. A total of 198 players, including 18 amateur players (10 pitchers), were selected and submitted to the Korea Sports Council through the Korea Baseball Softball Association.
It is also noteworthy that the list is not centered on players who have not completed the military service for the purpose of exemption from military service, which was controversial in the past. It is a national team roster composed of players under the age of 25 and under the age of 4 years who meet the selection criteria considering skills, skills, and distribution to each team. In addition to these, a total of three wild cards with no age limit are expected to build the national team.
In addition, the exclusion of controversial players draws attention as previously stated by Jo Gye-hyun, chairman of the Power Enhancement Committee, “It was decided to exclude (players with problems) from the national team list in relation to drinking, violence, and sexual crimes in the first place.”
Representatively, not only pitcher Ahn Woo-jin (Kiwoom), who was disqualified from the national team due to controversy over school violence during his amateur days, but also fielder Bae Ji-hwan (Pittsburgh), who is making a sensation in the big leagues at the beginning of this season, were not on the list. Bae Ji-hwan was briefly indicted by the Daegu District Prosecutor’s Office for assaulting his girlfriend in 2018, and there is a case where he was disciplined by the Major League Secretariat to play in 30 games. A clear direction was revealed to exclude the controversial players from the preliminary entry list.
On the batter side, centering on Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom), the main character who won five gold medals in batting last year, Kang Baek-ho (KT), Kim Hye-seong-Kim Hui-jib (Kiwoom), Moon Bo-kyung-Lee Jae-won (LG), Choi Ji-hoon-Park Seong-han (SSG), Noh Si-hwan-Jung Eun-won (Hanwha) , Lee Jae-hyun-Kim Ji-chan-Kim Hyun-jun (Samsung), Han Dong-hee-Hwang Seong-bin (Lotte), Ahn Jae-seok-Kim Dae-han-Yang Chan-yeol (Doosan), Kim Joo-won (NC), Kim Do-young-Byeon Woo-hyuk (KIA), and many other key new beasts from 10 clubs were included. . In addition, outfielder Ahn Kwon-soo (30, Lotte), a third-generation Korean-Japanese, was added to the list by meeting the criteria for joining the team for 4 years or less.
Here, Moon Seong-joo (LG), Bae Jeong-dae-Shim Woo-jun (KT), Hwang Dae-in-Park Chan-ho-Choi Won-jun (KIA) joined as wild cards, and a total of 8 amateur fielders were included to expand the diversity of entry selection.
Overall, among catchers, there are a lot of wild card resources. Of the total of 19 players, nearly half of them, including Han Seung-taek and Joo Hyo-sang (KIA), Park Dae-on and Ahn Joong-yeol (NC), and Kim Ki-yeon (LG) and Kim Jun-tae (KT), entered the reserve list through WC.
Even considering the wild card roster, it is noticeable that the fielding roster has become younger overall. Although less important than the pitcher list, newcomers who joined this year such as Kim Min-seok (Lotte) were included.
Compared to the past, in the case of wild cards, there were many veteran resources in their 30s or older, including big leaguers, it is a list that can read the direction of the Power Reinforcement Committee, which aims to achieve both generational change and achievements overall.
The movement of pitching staff to change generations is more noticeable. The reserve roster was built around players in their 20s, along with Ko Woo-seok (LG), who has been reborn as the best closer in the league, Doosan’s young-gun right-hander ace Kwak Bin, and Samsung’s native ace Won Tae-in.
In addition, a large number of promising pitchers from each team, as well as So-Jun Sohn (KT), Cheol-Won Jeong-Shinji Park (Doosan), Yoon-Sik Kim-Woo-Young Jung (LG)-Eui-Ri Lee (KIA), who have already been selected for the national team, were named on the list. In addition, key players such as Jeong Hae-young (KIA), Kim Jae-woong-Lee Seung-ho (Kiwoom), Oh Won-seok (SSG), and Song Myeong-ki (NC), who are gradually establishing themselves with clear results in the league, are highly likely to be promoted to the national team.
It is also characterized by the fact that a large number of pitchers who have not yet shown a clear career in the professional world, but highly valued their potential, have been listed. Representatively, Moon Dong-ju (Hanwha) is the best prospect who has attracted the attention of baseball fans by setting a new record of 160.1 km speed, which is the best in the country, even though he has only played 16 professional games. In addition, a large number of promising pitchers representing each team boarded the national team.
At the same time, the feature of the preliminary pitcher list for the Asian Games is that it includes a large number of newcomers who are taking their place as first-team resources by attracting attention with their fastballs and reverse pitches, respectively this season. Kim Seo-hyun (Hanwha), Song Young-jin-Lee Rowun (SSG), Park Myung-geun (LG), Yoon Young-cheol (KIA), and Lee Ho-seong (Samsung) are expected to make the final entry for the national team in terms of potential and current skills. .
Among the amateur pitchers, a number of pitchers were included, including Jang Hyeon-seok (Masan Yongmago), who is considered the biggest player in next year’s draft.
The direction of the generational shift can be clearly read in the pitcher wild card reserve list. All players, including Koo Chang-mo (NC), Park Se-woong (Lotte), Choi Won-tae (Kiwoom), Bae Seong-Eom Sang-baek (KT), Lee Jeong-yong (LG), Ryu Jin-wook (NC), Choi Won-joon (Doosan), and Kim Bum-soo (Hanwha) put.
The noise of being eliminated in the first round of the WBC for three consecutive years and being selected for the AG national team that lasted for several years brought great disappointment to baseball fans. In addition, the stagnant movement of generation change, especially centering on the fielder, has weakened the competitiveness of the current national team. It is the same that the birth of new pitchers who will lead the pitching staff of the Korean baseball team has been slow.
In conclusion, the preliminary entry for the AG national team is clearly reading the direction to catch both rabbits: ‘generational change’ and ‘strengthening international competitiveness’.
Regarding the selection criteria for the preliminary roster, the KBO said, “The national team aims to enable young players with excellent skills to achieve greater growth through international competition experience and achievements, and based on this, to show fans a higher level of performance in the KBO League and future international competitions. The selection principle of forming a team that can achieve generational change and achievements at the same time was considered as a top priority.”