Gu Chang-mo (26, NC), who had a bitter experience against Japan six years ago, dreamed of revenge against them at the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).토토사이트
On the 16th (Korean time), after the first official training for the WBC national team held at the Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Arizona, USA, Chang-mo Koo said, “If I can go to Korea and Japan, I will win unconditionally. I also have memories, so if I go out, I will definitely want to take revenge.”
Apart from the player’s own incisive referee, he is considered a strong starting pitcher in the game against Japan. Korea, which belongs to Group B in the first round with Japan, Australia, China, and the Czech Republic, should defeat Japan to advance to the second round. As the strongest opponent, it is not surprising that Koo Chang-mo, one of the players with the best skills at the moment, is making a sortie.
Kim Gwang-hyeon (35, SSG), who has a lineage of Korean left-handed aces, also said in an interview at the SSG spring camp on the 11th, “I think the most likely candidate would be Koo Chang-mo.” I think it is,” and pointedly mentioned him as the successor.
There are many reasons why Koo Chang-mo is likely to be selected for the game against Japan. Last year, there were regular season performances that were excellent with 11 wins, 5 losses and an ERA of 2.10 in 19 games, but what is more reliable is that they do not discriminate between left and right hitters. Shohei Otani (29, LA Angels) and last year’s Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) home run king Munetaka Murakami (23, Yakult) are cited as hitters to be most wary of in Japan, but the aforementioned Yamakawa and Yamada Tetsuto (31 Yakult) and the right-handed hitter lineup are also formidable. In the case of Yang Eui-ji (36, Doosan), in an interview after the national team training, he said, “I have been getting decisive hits in recent international competitions,” and cited Yamada as the main hitter in Japan along with Murakami.
However, Chang-mo Koo is stronger against right-handers even though he is a left-hander who has a disadvantage in terms of composition. Just as Ryu Hyun-jin (36, Toronto) cooks right-handed hitters with a circle changeup, Koo Chang-mo overcomes the odds with a splitter. As a result, last year, he showed a stronger side against right-handed hitters with a batting average of 0.189 and an OPS of 0.526, compared to when playing against left-handed hitters (0.270 batting average and 0.683 OPS). Last year, the hit rate against right-handed hitters was 0.238 and left-handed hitters 0.235, not to mention the powerful slider left and right.
Also, first of all, the quick containment action handed down by Bong Joong-geun (43) at the spring camp in 2019 is perfect for checking Japan, whose strength is detailed baseball. Koo Chang-mo has caught 11 runners out of 17 stolen base attempts against him in 312 innings since 2019. Because he is known for his excellent checks, most runners in the KBO do not rush to steal bases against him.
In addition, the adaptation of the WBC official ball (major league official ball), which is more difficult than the KBO league, has also been completed. Regarding the WBC official ball (major league official ball), which has a smoother surface than the ball used in Korea and has flat stitches, Koo Chang-mo said, “I have been holding it in my hand (from Korea), so there is no problem. I don’t feel a big difference from the KBO official ball),” he said confidently.
The reason he burns so much enthusiasm for the game against Japan is because of his memories of the 2017 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) held in Japan six years ago. At that time, Chang-mo Koo pitched in relief at the end of the 6th inning, when Korea led 4-1, and was beaten by Yamakawa Hotaka (32, Seibu) with a two-run gun, providing an excuse for a 7-8 defeat. Koo Chang-mo said, “At that time, I was hit by a home run by a player named Yamakawa, and this time I entered the entry again. If I go to Japan, I will definitely take revenge.”