Korea, who participated in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12, was eliminated early in the preliminary round held in Taiwan. Korea played its final match against Australia on the 18th, but failed to advance to the finals early on, losing out to Japan and Taiwan. National baseball team coach Ryu Joong-il lowered his head. [연합뉴스]
Korea was eliminated from the preliminary round of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12. Korea, with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses, will play the final match of Group B against Australia at Tianmu Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan at 1pm on the 18th, but their elimination was confirmed early on the 17th, a day before. This is because Japan defeated Cuba 7-6 and Taiwan defeated Australia 11-3, respectively, securing first and second place in Group B and advancing to the finals.
In Premier 12, only the first and second places in each group pass the preliminary round. Even if Korea, with 2 wins and 2 losses, wins the final match against Australia and becomes the same as Taiwan with 3 wins and 2 losses, it will be pushed out of the winner’s bracket. As a result, Venezuela and the United States in Group A, and Japan and Taiwan in Group B will pass the preliminary round and play the finals at Tokyo Dome in Japan starting on the 21st.
This is the first time that Korea has been eliminated from the preliminaries at the Premier 12 stage. He reached the top in the first competition in 2015. In 2019, they reached the finals but lost to Japan and finished second. Korea, which is undergoing a generational change, has formed its national team mainly with young players in their early and mid-20s ahead of this tournament. Although it was a decision to increase the international competitiveness of Korean baseball from a mid- to long-term perspective, it revealed a power gap against Asian rivals Japan and Taiwan, leaving behind several challenges.
Although both the process and the results were disappointing, there were also harvests. Above all, the discovery of a clear finishing card in Park Young-hyun (21, KT Wiz) is considered a meaningful gain. In Game 4 against the Dominican Republic held at Tianmu Stadium on the 16th, Park Young-hyun stepped on the mound with one out in the 8th inning, trailing 4-6, and pitched 1 2/3 innings without allowing a run. National baseball team coach Ryu Joong-il, who regretted replacing the pitcher one beat late in the games against Taiwan and Japan, was right. Young-Hyun Park allowed a left-field hit to the first batter, Luis Mieses, in the 8th inning, but was immediately thrown out with a quick check on first base. He then struck out Frank Rodriguez to end the inning. Korea changed the mood and turned the tide in the 8th inning. In the 8th inning with one out and runners on 1st and 3rd base, Song Seong-moon hit a timely hit toward right field, and Park Seong-han hit a 2-RBI triple to right-center to make it 7-6. In addition, Wonjun Choi’s RBI double to right field and Hong Changki’s timely hit in the middle increased the score to 9-6.
Park Young-hyun, who was on the mound in the 9th inning, was hit by a left-field hit from leadoff hitter Michael de Leon, but ended the game by hitting Ricardo Cespedes and Allen Hanson with a fly ball to left field and a double play to shortstop, respectively. Park Young-hyun, who had pitched one inning without allowing a run in the previous game against Cuba, said, “My brothers encouraged me by saying, ‘If you can keep the team scoreless in the eighth inning, I will definitely turn things around.’ I believed those words and threw with all my might. “I’m happy to have achieved a come-from-behind victory in the national team game,” he said with a bright smile.
Coach Ryu Joong-il selected Park Young-hyun as the starting closer early on. This is because it is judged that among the five closers representing the KBO League, including Jung Hae-young, Yoo Young-chan, Kim Taek-yeon, and Jo Byeong-hyun, Park Young-hyun has the best pitch. Coach Ryu expressed his firm trust, saying, “Park Young-hyun is a talent who will establish himself as the best closer in Korean baseball in the future.”
Park Young-hyun, who graduated from Yushin High School and debuted in the KT uniform in 2022, is developing his skills and experience through last year’s Hangzhou Asian Games and this year’s Premier 12. When he first joined the team, he had a strong impression that he was only a fast pitcher, but he has steadily improved his game management ability and is growing into a pitcher who is difficult to attack. Park Young-hyun said, “At last year’s Asian Games, I felt like I was throwing without knowing anything.” In this Premier 12, I pitch carefully with the mindset of ‘testing myself.’ “Thankfully, I am receiving many opportunities, and I will continue to become a pitcher who can take responsibility for the national team’s backdoor,” he said.
Taipei = Reporter Go Bong-jun ko.bongjun@joongang.co.kr
