NC Dinos,소닉카지노 a team that is more serious about ‘prospects’ than any other club, successfully completed the draft.
NC nominated 12 players, including Kim Hwi-gun (Whimoon High School, pitcher), in the first round in the 2024 KBO rookie draft held at the Grand Ballroom of the Westin Chosun Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 14th. NC prepared draft commemorative uniforms on this day, adding a special touch to the players.
Then, Lim Sang-hyeon (Daegu Sangwon High School, pitcher) and Kim Min-gyun (Gyeonggi High School, pitcher) were nominated in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, and Hong Yu-won (Daegu High School, pitcher) and Choi Woo-seok (Bibong High School, pitcher) were selected as members of the Dinosaur Corps in the 4th and 5th rounds. This is it.
After the 6th round, Son Joo-wan (Dong-A University, pitcher), Kim Se-hoon (Kyungbuk High School, infielder, naming rights transferred from Hanwha), Won Jong-hae (Jangchung High School, pitcher), Cho Hyun-min (Chungam High School, infielder), Ko Seung-wan (Yonsei University, outfielder), Kim Jae-min (Gwangju Promotion High School, etc.) catcher), and 11R Kim Jun-won (pitcher, Gyeongbuk High School) became members of the ‘Dinosaur Corps’ in that order.
NC general manager Lim Seon-nam, who met with reporters after the draft, said, “Our team approached the draft with the same principles established by the club last year. Rather than arranging positions in each round, we wanted to nominate good players, players with great potential and high value from among the remaining players. “He recalled.
The first player NC nominated on this day was Kim Hwigeon. He is a right-handed pitcher who boasts a strong pitch, and is expected to be a great help on the NC mound in the future. As the team has had a lot of fun with the performances of young pitchers, they are hoping that Kim Hwigeon will also play his role.
In particular, what became a hot topic as much as the nomination result was Kim Hwigeon’s impressions of the nomination. Kim Hwi-geon, who had personally prepared his speech two days ago, began by saying, “I am Kim Hwi-gun, the 116th pitcher at Whimoon High School.” He then added, “I would like to thank the NC team officials who selected me as the first player. The chairman and principal of Whimoon High School who guided me until I was in this position. “I am truly grateful to my teachers, directors, and coaches. I also want to say thank you to my parents who worked the hardest. I was able to get to this point because they always believed in me and supported me. I love you, mom and dad,” he said.
Kim Hwigeon also said, “Lastly, I was born in Changwon and started playing baseball in Changwon. When I was young, I dreamed of becoming a baseball player while watching the NC Dinos. Since I came back to NC, I will return the love NC gave me 1000 times. NC “I will sacrifice my right arm for this,” he expressed his bold ambition.
General Manager Lim Seon-nam, who watched this from the table, said, “I think he also has the qualities of an ‘entertainer.’ In this day and age, being good at baseball is number one, but being able to entertain the fans is also important. In that respect, it exceeded expectations. “I think I’m ready,” he said, not hiding his pride.
NC was the first team to request time in this draft. Afterwards, the scout team and club officials had brief discussions several times. Director Lim laughed and said, “I called the time several times,” and then added, “Rather than saying that I was relatively worried about a particular round, there were pros and cons that I could think of, so I and the scout team discussed the opinions of me and the scout team on who is closer to the principles among the players who I feel have similar values. “It was a time of comparison,” he explained the situation at the time.
Although the draft generally went as expected, if there was an ‘unexpected’ player, it was Won Jong-hae. He is a pitcher who built a solid mound at Jangchung High School with Hwang Jun-seo, Jo Dong-wook (Hanwha Eagles), Yook Seon-yeop (Samsung Lions), and Kim Yun-ha (Kiwoom Heroes). He was not selected until the 6th round, but his name was called later than the other four players. Also, among the 30 players who participated that day, Won Jong-hae’s name was the last to be called, and cheers erupted among the players after Won Jong-hae’s nomination was confirmed.
General Manager Lim Seon-nam said, “In the case of Won Jong-hae, I didn’t know he would remain until the 7th round. I also didn’t know he was the last one left on the field.” “I have expectations that they will do so,” he said, adding, “The remaining players selected in the lower rounds were also selected based on their strengths that we think can be used in the first team, so even if the timing is different, I think they will contribute once they come up someday.” .
What was the story told to the new players? Director Lim said, “This does not mean that all players have different strengths and weaknesses, so we do not create them uniformly. Rather, the ‘development system’ pursued by the club is our team’s training philosophy that utilizes each player’s strengths to the fullest rather than making up for their weaknesses.” “I also told the players, but I told them that even though the nomination round and contract money were different, they were standing at the same starting line and had to work hard from now on to demonstrate their potential and be given the opportunity to play in the first team.”
This season, NC is a team with clear growth in young players, regardless of pitchers and fielders. Even in the midst of difficult times for the team, the growth and performance of the young players became a support for the team, and this year, that growth is showing up one by one as a result.
General Manager Lim Seon-nam said, “Actually, if you look at our team’s squad, they have become much younger. If you look at the players who have come up and are active, there are many lower rounders. These players can also become like that, and the club provides fair opportunities to players who work hard and work hard. “I promised that I would give it to them. I want to encourage the players to do that because they need to put in that much effort,” he said.