The pain and struggles of a ‘genius hitter’ “My juniors are very worried about me”
This is the answer given by Kang Baek-ho (KT Wiz) when asked what motivated him to hit his first hit in 11 at-bats at the Hangzhou Asian Games (AG). It is also an answer that fully embodies Kang Baek-ho’s heartache.
The national team led by coach Ryu Joong-il won 17-0 in the 5th cold game against Thailand in the 3rd game of the Group B group held at the 2nd stadium of the Baseball and Softball Sports Center in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, China on the 3rd, finishing second in the group and confirming advancement to the super round. did.
But no one could laugh. This is because the challenge for winning the title for the fourth time in a row has become difficult due to the 0-4 defeat against Chinese Taipei the previous day (the 2nd).토토사이트
In this year’s baseball tournament, the top 1 and 2 teams in Groups A and B advance to the super round with their results from the group stage. Korea lost 0-4 in the match against Taiwan on the 2nd, which was actually the deciding match for first place in the group, making its challenge for the gold medal a thorny path. In this year’s baseball tournament, the top 1 and 2 teams in Groups A and B advance to the super round with their results from the group stage. Considering the strength of Group B, Taiwan and Korea are likely to advance to the super round. There will be no rematch in the super round with the team that played against the team in the group stage. If Korea loses to Japan, the likely leader in Group A, it will be virtually impossible to advance to the finals with 1 win and 2 losses even if they win the remaining game.
Kang Baek-ho also feels responsible. This is because he played as the 4th hitter against Hong Kong on the 1st (10-0, 8th inning cold game) and against Taiwan on the 2nd and performed poorly with 0 hits in 8 at-bats. So Kang Baek-ho replied, “I came on as the number 4 hitter, but I feel sorry for putting a big burden on the young players. The players seem to be very worried about me. They gave me feedback (so that I could avoid a no-hitter).”
Kang Baek-ho, who was sent to number 6 and designated hitter against Thailand on the 3rd, recorded his first hit of this tournament with 2 RBIs and a timely hit at 2nd and 3rd base with no outs in the bottom of the 4th inning with a 10-0 lead. He said, “I gained great strength from the support of my teammates and local Korean fans.”
Kang Baek-ho (KT Wiz), who was called a ‘genius hitter’ and won the rookie award since joining the team, joined the national team for the fourth time. However, there are far more painful and difficult memories than happy moments wearing the Taegeuk symbol. A ‘gum controversy’ arose at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In the bronze medal match against the Dominican Republic, where the team lost 6-10, he was embroiled in controversy over his attitude when he was seen chewing gum in the dugout. In March of this year, while celebrating after hitting a double in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) match against Australia, he lost his footing for a moment and was tagged by the opposing second baseman and was put out. Criticism poured in for the absurd outing. In the end, the national team, unable to change the mood against Australia, lost and failed to advance to the second round. Kang Baek-ho apologized once again.
As Kang Baek-ho performed poorly this season, harsh eyes were focused on his joining the national team, but in fact, the ‘pain’ piled up as he went no-hit in two consecutive games.
He said, “After wearing the Taegeuk symbol, the responsibility is always different in international competitions. This time, I feel a bit more weight as I am a key player rather than the youngest. I also cheered a lot from the bench. I did my best at every moment, but I was disappointed with the disappointing result.” “I did,” he said. At the same time, he pledged, “We must make it to the finals. No matter who we face, we will have the last laugh.”