"Why can't you catch a 38-year-old player?" Catcher Fostering Specialist Returns, Raises Strongly

Dec 05, 2024

catcher Cho Hyung-woo training at the Kagoshima Finishing Camp. Photo =SSG Landers

"No one knows who the catcher will be at the end of next season."

Catcher training master Serizawa Yuji returned to SSG Landers. SSG hired Serizawa, the first-team battery coach, as its coaching staff for next season.

It's already been a long time with the KBO League. Coach Serizawa, who first formed a relationship with the SK Wyverns in 2010, coached catchers at SSG until the 2022 season through Samsung and LG. He was a member of the Doosan Bears for the last two years, but returned to Incheon after this season as SSG re-recruited him.

Cho Hyung-woo, who was so sorry to say goodbye to coach Serizawa two years ago, said, `I was so sorry that the coach said he would quit then. In the meantime, we have been in touch by sending and receiving messages through messengers from time to time, but when we heard that the coach was coming back to our team, we didn't believe it. But I was so happy to see you again."

As he has been a leader in the KBO League for more than 10 years, communication is easy. I understand almost all of Korean, and the simple instructions necessary for teaching are in Korean. Coach Serizawa also understands the atmosphere and culture of Korean baseball better than anyone else.

Thinking Serizawa coach. Photo =SSG Landers

After the comeback, coach Serizawa intensively trained three catchers, Shin Bum-soo, Cho Hyung-woo and Lee Yul-ye, at the Kagoshima wrap-up camp in Japan. Cho Hyung-woo, the most promising catcher in the team, Shin Bum-soo, who should now be in the first team as a veteran catcher, and Lee Yul-ye, the rising star of the first round. Amid coach Serizawa's pleasant but harsh training, he carried out a camp schedule that was strong enough to really smell in his mouth. SSG's growth is essential as it seeks to replace the catcher's current generation, where Lee Ji-young and Kim Min-sik are the main players.

Coach Serizawa is emphasizing to the players 'Why can't you catch Lee Ji-young?'There is nothing to be pushed back by the strength or physical conditions that both Cho Hyung-woo and Shin Beom-soo have. In the end, he strongly conveyed the message, "The decisive reason for not being able to participate in the game is the question of trust."

사진=SSG 랜더스

Coach Serizawa, who picked Cho Hyung-woo as the player with the best shoulders, coolly diagnosed that `Lee Yul-yea is told that pop time is fast, but it will still take some time to use it in the first team, even though it looks fast.'

It is a part of discussion with coach Lee Soo-yong, but coach Serizawa plans to actively use young catchers and play in the game next season. "There are some sacrifices to use young players, but it can't be helped. We need to nurture"He said "This has to be shown by the players themselves. Shouldn't the coach also show a different result from the perspective of 'player who has no choice but to use it?' Lee Ji-young played in 123 games this year. I told the players 'What were you doing?' The fact that such an old player starts both games of the doubleheader means that our catchers need to be more awakened."

Rookie catcher Lee Yul-yea. Photo =SSG Landers

First of all, it is highly likely that junior catchers such as Cho Hyung-woo, Shin Bum-soo, Park Dae-on and Lee Yul-ye will form a competitive structure in the veteran catcher duo of Lee Ji-young and Kim Min-sik, and will open in the form of trying to become the main players of the first team. However, Coach Serizawa stressed to the players that they must take their chances, saying, `But no one knows who the starting catcher will be at the end of the season.'

In the meantime, he introduced himself as a 'passionate man'. Coach Serizawa said "I'm 56 years old, but I still throw batting balls every day. Even though I have lived in Korea for a long time, I think I have to be passionate and passionate in order to teach the catchers on my own"I never want to lose to other coaches." I want to remain a coach with the best passion," he smiled.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.

"Why can't you catch a 38-year-old player?" Catcher Fostering Specialist Returns, Raises Strongly

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