Forced generational change is no longer meaningful Lee Jung-hoo's conviction remarks are taking the first step toward the new national team

Feb 17, 2025

Ryu Ji-hyun, head coach of the national baseball team. Sports Chosun DB

The focus should no longer be on the young national team. Now the new baseball team takes its first step.

KBO said on the 17th that `Coach Ryu Ji-hyun of the baseball team will leave for Taiwan on February 20 to analyze the history of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) qualifying round.'

The WBC qualifying round at Taipei Dome in Taiwan will be held in round robin format with four countries participating: Taiwan, South Africa, Nicaragua and Spain. The top two qualifying teams qualify for the WBC finals in March 2026.

Kang In-kwon, Lee Dong-wook, Heo Sam-young, a power analysis committee member, and an employee in charge of power analysis will accompany this power analysis business trip, and will return home on the 26th after completing power analysis by the 25th.

In fact, it is Taiwan that the national team should focus on in this WBC qualifying match. Taiwan suffered an upset at the bottom of the group at 2023 WBC for reasons belonging to 'Death Joe'. As a result, next year's WBC will have to start with the preliminary round. However, the national team expects Taiwan to pass the preliminary round unless something unexpected happens. Among the opposing teams, South Africa and Spain are not baseball powers.

Premier 12 baseball team. Sports Chosun DB

In particular, Taiwan's atmosphere is at its peak as it beat Japan to win the final of 'Premier 12' last year. The atmosphere has been heated up more recently through two consecutive practice games against the Lotte Giants.

This is Ryu Ji-hyun's first step as a national team coach. Coach Ryu will start preparing for the WBC in March next year. South Korea will face the Czech Republic, Japan and Australia in the first round of the WBC at Tokyo Dome in early March next year. The other game will be against a qualifying team, which is expected to be Taiwan. Except for the Czech Republic, they are all formidable opponents.

Next year's WBC is expected to be a competition to confirm the results of the generational change of the national baseball team. After the disastrous failure of the 2023 WBC, KBO cited generational change as its top priority. In the later competition, only players in their 20s were consciously set up, excluding all players in their mid-to-late 30s. APBC was an age-set competition, but it also intentionally limited veterans to the rest of the international competition.

Lee Jung-hoo, who competed in the 2023 WBC. Sports Chosun DB

There were also achievements, but it was pointed out that this was not 'Choi elite'. Major leaguer Lee Jung-hoo, a regular member of the national team, also said in an interview with Yonhap News reported on the 17th that `I don't think we should focus on too young players. We need to be in harmony with our seniors and juniors", "The national team is not a place to gain experience, but a place where the best performers of the year fight for our country's name. Even though there is a senior who performed well, a young player should not go out in the name of a generational change", he added.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.