"Who will fill the blank with?" What about Lim Chan-gyu? I asked the head coach of the national team. The number of injured → thirst for selection → external recruitment

Oct 28, 2024

A game between the LG Twins and the Samsung Lions in Game 3 of the playoffs at Jamsil Stadium on the 17th. LG starter Lim Chan-kyu is going down from the mound with one out in the top of the sixth inning. Jamsil = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.17/

The second game of the Korean Series between Samsung and KIA at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 23rd. KIA starter Yang Hyeon-jong is pitching. Gwangju = Reporter Jeong Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.10.23/

"I knew it from when Tae-in (Won) went down. You're not feeling well. I didn't expect it to be this big of an injury, but..."

The head coach of the national team looked dark ahead of another international competition. He sighed repeatedly.

The Korean national baseball team, which will participate in the Premier 12, held a convocation training session at Gocheok Sky Dome on the 28th.

Coach Ryu Joong-il, who met with reporters before training, expressed regret about Won Tae-in, the Samsung Lions, who had left earlier due to a shoulder injury, saying, `I don't think it will be possible to join the national team.'

Won Tae-in was replaced during Game 4 of the Korean Series against Gwangju KIA Tigers on the 26th, complaining of shoulder pain. The Samsung club said "Right shoulder joint spondylal injury, rotator cuff inflammation. Rehabilitation is needed for the next four to six weeks,' he explained.

Manager Ryu Joong-il, who was watching the game on TV, hurriedly contacted the Samsung club and asked about his physical condition, but there is no positive answer.

It is a little different from last year's Hangzhou Asian Games, which declared a full-fledged generational change, but it is still not easy to select old players who have been in charge of the national team for a long time, such as Hanwha Ryu Hyun-jin, KIA Yang Hyun-jong, and SSG Kim Kwang-hyun.

Game 4 of the Korean Series between KIA and Samsung at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 26th, with the bases loaded with one out in the top of the third inning, and Samsung's Won Tae-in is going down the mound. Daegu = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2024.10.26/

However, the thirst for selection is serious. Moon Dong-ju was out with a shoulder injury, and Park Se-woong was out with basic military training in accordance with special military service.

On top of that, Won Tae-in, the king of the most wins, and Son Joo-young, the left-hander of LG, were left out due to injuries one after another. Koo Ja-wook, who was scheduled to play a key role in the lineup, was also left out due to injuries he suffered during the Korean Series.

The teams that will face South Korea in Group B of the tournament are all tough. South Korea will play Cuba, Japan and the Dominican Republic in a row starting with the match against Taiwan on Nov. 13, then take a day off and face Australia on the 18th.

First of all, manager Ryu Joong-il is in a position to prepare five starting pitchers and play the group stage. It plans to add one to the current Kwak Bin, Ko Young-pyo, Um Sang-baek, Choi Seung-yong. It has already given up the 1+1 type of mound operation that it had originally planned.

The Korean national baseball team participating in the Premier 12 trained at Gocheok Dome in Seoul on the afternoon of the 24th. Coach Ryu Joong-il of the national team. Gocheok = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2024.10.24/

After catching the momentum in the early stages and throwing as long as the starter can, it is only a beehive operation. It is positive that there are many 'powerful' young guns such as Park Young-hyun, Kim Taek-yeon, Kim Seo-hyun, and Cho Byung-hyun. In the meantime, there are players who can't throw consecutively like Cho Hyung-joon, who just returned from injury.

Manager Ryu Joong-il said, "(I'm going to pick one more starting pitcher (other than the entry) for now. The Beast has not yet considered any special reinforcement.' Fortunately, the players who joined the national team are in good condition.

In the past, players with a sense of play are better because they have played until recently. However, except for Won Tae-in and Yang Hyun-jong, there are not many players who can be selected for the national team among Samsung-KIA native starters. Director Ryu Joong-il said "How old is Yang Hyun-jong this year? It's not easy (to say that he was born in 1988)," he said. "(Samsung) is also paying attention to Seung-hyun."

A suspended match between the KIA Tigers and the Samsung Lions in Game 1 of the Korean Series at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 23rd. Samsung's Lee Seung-hyun is expressing his regret to KIA's Choi Hyung-woo. Gwangju = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com /2024.10.23/

Then how about LG Lim Chan-kyu, who had the best year of his life this year. Born in 1992, he is relatively old, and his national team career was last at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games.

Coach Ryu Joong-il nodded to the question, `Im Chan-kyu did well this year, how is it?' He still looked frustrated.

"First of all, we have a few candidates. I wonder if there are no native starters like this. I was going to make the entry with 13 pitchers, but I think I should take another bullpen. I'll think about it until the end."

lunarfly@sportschosun.com