“I will utilize the individuality of each batter.”
KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol had a busy end of the year, attending awards ceremonies, events, and catching up with friends. Now the sweet break is over. It’s time to start planning for the 2024 season.
He can relax. The team pulled off a “miracle” this year, going from last place to second place in the regular season. KT received a lavish re-signing gift. A total of 2.4 billion won for three years. It was the best deal for an active manager.
But his pride is on the line. The team lost to the LG Twins in the Korean Series. The general consensus is that the two teams will likely compete for the top spot next season. You can’t lose twice in the pros.
The team has done a good job of recruiting foreign players, re-signing two reliable pitchers, Cuevas and Benjamin. They brought back the legendary MVP, Rojas. 토토사이트 Despite their failure in Nippon Professional Baseball, many believe that they will still be a force in the KBO. The lineup of Rojas, Park Byung-ho, and Kang Baek-ho will be the centerpiece of the team’s batting lineup.
For the new season, Lee has two clear goals: to utilize the individuality of the hitters and to play baseball that can score runs on first and third base.
The Korean Series motivated us. “I realized in the postseason that hitters shouldn’t all be swinging for home runs,” Lee said. “They kept coming up with hitters with a high percentage of contact. Our pitchers were really struggling. The pressure must have been on them. Our bats have to score runs. For example, we have to play the game of baseball, which is to take advantage of the first and third base opportunities.”
Lee continued, “We have to play like LG. The hitters who should focus on contact should do their job well, and the hitters who should hit like Rojas, Park Byung-ho, and Kang Baek-ho should do their job well. We will try to prepare for that from spring training.”
In practice, LG also showed that, except for Park Dong-won, all the batters in the main lineup were focused on putting the ball inside the foul line. Even Oh Ji-hwan, who hit three home runs, was a case of a simple swing that added impact rather than a big swing. These guys are already capable of making contact, but their focus on the big stage of the Korean Series gave their opponents no room to breathe. On the other hand, KT’s batters swung a lot, probably due to underdog anxiety. They might have been hoping to change the mood with a single. But the odds were stacked against them.
Lee sent a clear message. 바카라사이트 순위 If you’re not confident that you’re a center fielder, you’re going to have to work harder on contact and basic infield play before spring training. That’s the only way to get noticed. No one is a starter in baseball forever.