In Japan, Ahn Woo-jin (24, Kiwoom)’s elimination from the WBC team drew great attention. Is there a possibility of a dramatic boarding before the final list is submitted?
In fact, the technical committee of the WBC national team came up with the most fundamental solution in relation to Ahn Woo-jin’s selection in the first place, ‘resolving the problem of school violence in the past’. However, with Ahn Woo-jin unable to respond, the last possibility is almost disappearing.
On the 4th, WBC national team coach Lee Kang-cheol and technical committee chairman Cho Bum-hyun held a press conference at the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and unveiled the list of the final 30 players for the 5th 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team to be held in March.
The final 30 players consisted of 15 pitchers (8 righties, 2 sidearms, 5 lefties), 2 catchers, 8 infielders and 5 outfielders. With a total of 30 final players, if there are no breakaway players such as special injuries, the WBC finals will be held as it is in the big picture.
The final roster included Korean players such as Tommy Hyeonsu Edman (St. Louis), Kwanghyeon Kim (SSG), Haseong Kim (San Diego), Jeonghu Lee (Kiwoom), and Jiman Choi (Pittsburgh), as well as top domestic and foreign players playing in the US Major League and KBO League. did.
스포츠토토 It is the best card that Korea can pull out at the moment. However, the boarding of Ahn Woo-jin, who was not included in the interest list, was finally canceled as the controversy over school violence resurfaced earlier.
In fact, the result was somewhat expected in Korea. Previously, An Woo-jin was not included in the 50 members of the 2023 WBC Federation Interest List submitted by the KBO to the World Baseball Classic Inc (WBCI), the WBC organizing committee. The KBO and the technical committee have announced that they will deduce the preliminary list and the final list based on these 50 names.
However, the shock received by Japan, the ‘old enemy’, who faced Korea in the group stage for the first time since the 2006 WBC Invitational Tournament was great.
Last season, An Woo-jin was the best pitcher in Korea. He recorded an average ERA of 2.11 / 196 innings / 224 strikeouts in 30 games with 15 wins and 8 losses, and ranked first in three categories: ERA – strikeouts – innings. He was reborn as an ace representing the league with a truly overwhelming appearance. Ahn Woo-jin also played a reverse fight in PS and led Kiwoom to the runner-up in the Korean Series. Following this momentum, he won the Golden Glove in the pitching category, given to the best pitcher in the league, beating out prominent candidates.
That’s why multiple Japanese media outlets, such as Japan’s Tokyo Sports, Baseball King, Full Count, and The Digest, dealt with the news of An Woo-jin’s exclusion with great importance. The Digest said, “Ahn Woo-jin, who is considered the best pitcher in the KBO league in the final list of 30 players, caused a considerable stir when he was unable to be selected due to problems with school violence in the past.” However, due to the cold public opinion in Korea due to the assault scandal, I was unable to wear the national team uniform.”
At the same time, the media said, “I wonder what the exclusion of An Woo-jin from the national team, which is evaluated as Korea’s Jacob deGrom (Texas), will mean. It was a decision that the cold public opinion and morality in Korea took precedence.
Other media also shed light on Ahn Woo-jin’s performance in the KBO League, expressing surprise that a pitcher who could advance to the major leagues in the future was not selected.