![]() ![]() Go's MVP-winning friend and brother-in-law, outfielder Lee Jung-hoo, has been in the spotlight here, after Lee's KBO team, Kiwoom Heroes, announced last month that they will post him after this upcoming season. The WBC will also be a showcase for Go, a potential candidate to take his talent overseas once he becomes eligible for posting after the 2023 season. Now that I am older, I think I won't be as rattled on the mound." "I think nerves really got to me at the Olympics. ![]() "I want to go up there with confidence," Go said. Korean pitcher Go Woo-suk, right, plays catch in a practice session for the World Baseball Classic at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, Feb. Go, who led the KBO last year with 42 saves for the LG Twins, said he couldn't wait to see how he stacks up against tough international competition now. But I think I've been able to learn from that experience and make myself a better pitcher." There were moments from other games that I haven't forgotten," Go said Monday. Three batters later, with the bases loaded, Go surrendered a three-run double to Tetsuto Yamada that provided the final margin of Japan's win. Go missed the first base bag while covering for what could have been an inning-ending double play. It was Go who let Japan turn a 2-2 tie into a 5-2 lead in the fateful bottom of the eighth inning. "I will stay ready in every game."Īt the Olympics, Korea fell to the bronze medal game after losing to Japan in the semifinals 5-2. "It doesn't matter where I play," Kang said. Park is a superior defender and is expected to be the primary first baseman, leaving Kang as his backup or designated hitter. Kang's Wiz teammate, Park Byung-ho, is the only natural first baseman on the national team, and Kang is the only other player with extensive experience at the bag. Korean first baseman Kang Baek-ho, left, takes part in a fielding drill for the World Baseball Classic at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, Feb. And Kang has shown plenty of life in Tucson so far, batting 4-for-9 with a home run in two scrimmages for Korea. 245, but his lifetime average still sits at a strong. Kang, 23, had the worst season of his five-year career for the KT Wiz in 2022, with career lows of six homers and 29 RBIs while playing in only 62 games due to injuries. I've been putting in a lot more work this offseason than in the past to get ramped up early." ![]() "My preparation for the WBC has been going well. ![]() "I promise I will never do anything like that again at this competition," Kang told reporters at Kino Sports Complex. Kang became the poster boy for what critics argued ailed the national team ― lack of determination and fire.Īfter the national team's practice in Tucson, Arizona, on Monday, Kang once again apologized for his behavior at the Olympics. 308 in seven games at the Olympics, but in late moments of that loss, Kang was caught on television chewing gum in the dugout with a thousand-yard stare, wearing the look of someone who'd much rather be anywhere else but there. Some two years later, they are trying to put those memories behind as they gear up for the World Baseball Classic (WBC), whose opening round games will also be played in Japan.Īfter Korea lost to the Dominican Republic 10-6 in the bronze medal game, Kang became the lightning rod for criticism, and not necessarily for his performance. Two Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) players in particular, first baseman Kang Baek-ho and reliever Go Woo-suk, had a tournament they'd rather forget. YonhapĪs international performances go, Korea had a dismal showing at the Tokyo Olympics baseball tournament in 2021, finishing fourth in a six-nation tournament despite being seen as a strong medal contender. Korean first baseman Kang Baek-ho takes part in a batting practice for the World Baseball Classic at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, Feb. ![]()
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