Choi Dae-eoh, a high school catcher who says he will be selected 1~2R unconditionally, tries to win his first championship "I'm confident in my attack.""
Jul 04, 2024
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Gangneung High School's third-year catcher Lee Yul-ye (Wutuuta) is considered the catcher's biggest fish among the candidates for this year's KBO League rookie draft. KBO League scouts highly value Lee Yul-ye's defense. He has excellent basic pitching ability, and his shoulders are at the top. It is believed that the throw to second base is also very fast and that he is born with a sense of defense itself. Lee Yul-ye, who is 1m83 tall and has a solid body with a weight of 90kg, has been a key player for the youth national team since his second grade in recognition of this ability.
In this year's rookie draft, there are so many good pitching resources, including Jung Woo-joo (Jeon High School) and Jung Hyun-woo (Deok High School), that many clubs will choose the pitcher's pick in the first round. However, there are many views that the top pick in Lee Yul-ye is likely. Club A scouts are likely to be picked unconditionally within the second round, and any team that prioritizes catcher reinforcement can also be nominated in the first round. He is a really good defensive player and a stable player."
Gangneung High School confirmed its advance to the second round with a 9-3 victory in the 79th Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Championship and the weekend league king match (co-hosted by the Chosun Ilbo, Sports Chosun, and the Korea Baseball Softball Association) at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul on the 4th. Lee Yul-ye, who started as the third batter and catcher, also played one hit, two RBIs and one run from three times at bat.
Lee Yul-ye, who met after the game, laughed, saying, `Today, we talked a lot about not having a hard time and just showing what we're going to do, but I'm proud that all the players did well together.' I had good luck from the first inning. At the bottom of the first inning, when it was 0-0, Gangneung High School took a chance with consecutive walks by the first and second batters. In the process of third batter Lee Yul-ye's attempt to make a sacrifice bunt, the opponent's bad pitch came out, leading to the first point, and he later scored. He was able to gain the upper hand by scoring three runs in the first inning. Lee Yul-ye "The bunt sign came out and buntted, but the opponent's mistake came out. I think it worked out well from the beginning. If we didn't score in the beginning, we would have been caught up and had a tough game, but I think we ended the game easily thanks to everyone's good work," he said, giving credit to his colleagues.
As it was the first game of this tournament, he also paid close attention to leading the pitchers. Lee Yul-ye said "The pitchers were still very nervous, so I couldn't control them well. So I ordered to relax. At the end, (Cheon) Beom-seok (two ⅔ scoreless innings) threw very well, so it was good. I think everyone will get better if they play the game,' he said, expressing his responsibility as the main catcher.
Although it has been attracting attention since last year, Cheongryonggi, who will play as a third-year student who is the target of the rookie draft, is nothing more than a practical showcase for him. Lee Yul-ye said "It's a shame that I haven't shown you everything I've prepared for this year yet. I think everything is okay in the defensive part, but there are still some things I'm disappointed in the bat" he said. Scouts also have no disagreement with Lee Yul-ye's defensive skills, but they believe the hit needs to be refined a little more. It is believed that the swing still has a lot of power and the body rotation is not outstanding. However, it is evaluated that if you correct it a little more because you have a good sense, it can work well as a professional.
Lee Yul-ye also expressed his desire to appeal to offense rather than defense. He said "I can hit the bat well, but when I play, I get greedy without realizing it, so I put in too much power. So I practiced a lot of relaxing and hitting at-bat, and I think what I've been practicing will come out in this Cheongryonggi. If I throw that away, I think I can show you a better side of me"I burned my will.
Gangneung High School has won its first national championship since the inauguration of Jaeho Choi, steadily rising to the top of the national championship, and is known as an "emerging powerhouse." However, since Lee Yul-ye entered the school, he has repeatedly been the runner-up. In the history of the school baseball team, there was no Blue Dragon Open win, and he finished second in 2007 and 2019. Lee Yul-ye "Aiming to rise high for now. Now, the next and next match is not an easy opponent, so we are thinking of winning one game each. Then I think I can go high. After I entered the school, I had no experience of winning, so I really want to win."
▶Today's Cheongryonggi result (1st round)
Busan Information Report SBC 4-1 Korea Marsa BC
Chungam High School 8-1 Gwangju BC
Gangneung High School 9-3 Times Stock
Seoul Convention High School 13-5 Gyeongbuk High School
12-1 Seoul High School Uiwang BC
youll@sportschosun.com
