“If possible, I should pick him up. He’s an active major leaguer, so there’s no reason not to pick him up.”
Ryu Joong-il, head coach of the Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team, showed great interest in Bae Ji-hwan (24, Pittsburgh Pirates). He expressed his desire to include Bae in the roster if the Pittsburgh club allowed Ji-hwan Bae to participate in the Asian Games.
Bae Ji-hwan, a sophomore in the big leagues who has all three points of offense and defense, is a multi-player who can play various positions such as second baseman, shortstop, and center fielder. He’s not just born with motor nerves. He doesn’t panic in any situation and can’t ignore the personality factor that he recklessly sticks to. Pittsburgh coach Derek Shelton also said, “Bae Ji-hwan is not intimidated. He doesn’t embarrass him much.”
On the 15th, before the match between Samsung and Lotte, I met coach Joong-il Ryu at Daegu Samsung Lions Park and asked, “Do you have any intention of including Ji-hwan Bae in the Hangzhou Asian Games national team?” no,” he replied.
The final entry for the Hangzhou Asian Games national team was limited to those under the age of 25, excluding three wild cards, but Bae Ji-hwan, born in 1999, has no barriers to his age. In a recent interview with a media outlet, Bae Ji-hwan said, “It is an honor to represent Korea.”
The key is whether the Pittsburgh club will allow Bae Ji-hwan to participate in the national team. Manager Ryu Joong-il asked back, “Bae Ji-hwan said he wants to go (to the Asian Games)? If the club asks (Bae Ji-hwan to participate in the national team), will they send it?” It meant that if the club allowed them to participate, they would be selected.
The Hangzhou Asian Games will be held in September during the major league season, but if Bae Ji-hwan, who is currently not in the military, wins a gold medal at the Asian Games and receives military service benefits, it can be of great benefit to the club, so the possibility of allowing the national team to participate is also ruled out. can’t
Meanwhile, a total of 12 teams will participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games baseball event. According to the Asian rankings, the bottom 6 teams will play the qualifying round and the top 2 teams will advance to the main round. Korea, which is trying to win its fourth consecutive Asian Games title, will go directly to the final round along with Japan and Taiwan.
In the final round,안전놀이터 8 teams including Korea (top 6 Asian rankings + 2 teams that passed the preliminary round) are divided into 2 groups. From October 1st, the group stage and super round will be held. The long-awaited final to win the gold medal will be held on October 7th.