Is it the Taegeuk mark last dance?
The WBC to be held in March. The national team led by coach Lee Kang-cheol has 15 pitchers. Since this is a tournament with a pitch limit, the distinction between start, middle, and finish is expected to disappear. The reason why the KBO and the National Team Technical Committee entrusted manager Lee Kang-cheol with the baton is that Lee is the best active manager and has excellent mound management skills.
Among the 15 pitchers, the selection resources are overflowing. Even so, the player who will take center stage on the mound and in the dugout is Gwang Hyeon-jong (Kim Gwang-hyeon, Yang Hyeon-jong). As soon as Kim Gwang-hyun finished his two-year career in the major leagues, he returned as a top-notch pitcher in the KBO League and lived up to his name. Hyeonjong Yang’s performance over the past two to three years was not at the top level. However, he could not overlook his rich national team career. The reality is that there are still no people as trustworthy as the two of them.
However, Korean baseball cannot rely on Kwang Hyeon-jong forever. Situationally, it is highly likely that the two men’s Taegeuk mark careers will come to an end with this WBC. Once this WBC is over, it is unknown when the next major international tournament will be held.
It is known that the premiere 12 will not be held this year. There is a possibility that it will be held in 2024 or 2025. On the other hand, since baseball was held as an Olympic qualifier, it is possible to schedule the event in line with the 2028 LA Olympics, which will be held at the Olympics.
Given the current industry sentiment, there is no possibility that Kwang Hyeon-jong will be selected as a wild card for the Hangzhou Asian Games in September. APBC in November is also a tournament unrelated to Gwang Hyeon-jong. Baseball will not be held at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The next WBC is in 2027. Born in 1988, 35 years old, it is highly likely that this WBC will be the last Taegeuk mark in many ways.
Fortunately, the successors of Gwang Hyeon-jong in the KBO League are advancing little by little, regardless of left or right. Excluding Ahn Woo-jin (Kiwoom), who has an issue with school violence, there are many pitchers worth watching. First of all, Gu Chang-mo (NC) of the national team is considered a direct successor. Lee Eui-ri (KIA) and Kim Yun-sik (LG) are also left-handed starting pitchers with bright futures. Right-handers include So-Jun Sohn (KT), Tae-In Won (Samsung), Se-Woong Park (Lotte), and Bin Kwak (Doosan). Koh Young-pyo (KT), the best sidearm in the KBO League, is highly likely to play an active role as a specialist in international competitions for the next few years.
Considering their careers and current address, there are areas that are lacking compared to Gwang Hyeon-jong. However, there are pitchers who are evaluated as better than Kwang Hyeon-jong in terms of talent and prospects. Gwang Hyeon-jong also grew up by steadily gaining experience in international competitions from the mid-to-late 2000s. If you hesitate to select the national team for fear of side effects, you cannot move forward. Even Kim Gwang-hyun took the opportunity to advance again after providing a cold game defeat by completely ruining the first match against Japan in the 2009 WBC 1st round.
Strictly speaking, there is no retirement in the national team. Regardless of the event, it is the correct attitude for an athlete to wear the Taegeuk mark whenever the national anthem calls for it. Even if nationalism has weakened compared to before, it does not mean that the value of the Taegeuk mark has also declined. Even now, there are many players who are sweating while looking at the Taegeuk mark. The selection of the national team must be followed by practical reasons and justifications. 메이저놀이터
Looking at this aspect, it is an important task for Korean baseball to properly time Gwang Hyeon-jong’s ‘last national team’. Perhaps this WBC is a natural opportunity to mark an inflection point in Korean baseball. Gwang Hyeon-jong’s presence is still there, and juniors are also coming up. This WBC also has this meaning. Korean baseball has an obligation to beautifully let go of Kwang Hyeon-jong, who has devoted himself to the national team for 15 years.