Major League Baseball’s official website (MLB.com) has selected 10 best WBC matches ahead of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) to be held in March. The first place was the 2009 final match between Korea and Japan.
Due to the complicated history, Korea and Japan are forming a rivalry representing Asia in the sports world, and now baseball fans around the world are also aware of the fierce atmosphere of the Korea-Japan match. In the 2006 and 2009 tournaments, Korea and Japan often faced each other in fierce matches. In terms of objective power, Japan was always ahead, but the atmosphere unique to the Korea-Japan match caused various variables, and Korea also caught Japan uncommonly and shocked the archipelago.
Such Korea and Japan will meet in the first round of the 2023 WBC qualifiers. The two teams belonged to Group B of the qualifiers along with Australia, China and the Czech Republic. Compared to the other three teams, Korea and Japan are more likely to advance to the second round given to the top two teams. In the end, the result of the Korea-Japan match is expected to separate 1st and 2nd place in the group. It is also the first match in 14 years at the WBC.
While fans on both sides focused their attention, Ryu Hyun-jin (35, Toronto), who inevitably missed the tournament due to rehabilitation after elbow surgery, also recalled the special meaning of the Korea-Japan match. Ryu Hyun-jin experienced the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where Korea performed well, and the Korea-Japan match at the 2009 WBC. Although he did not pitch directly, he felt a fierce air in the dugout, and he was also a player who directly observed and accompanied the team’s determination.
The definition of the Korea-Japan match that Ryu Hyun-jin says is literally ‘win’. On the 17th (Korean time), on the first day of team spring training official training, Ryu Hyun-jin smiled at the meeting with ‘Sport TV News’, saying, “If you are a Korean player, the Korea-Japan match is a game you must win unconditionally.” It is said that the match between Korea and Japan is a match that evokes such determination while suggesting that the pressure on the players is not easy. 메이저사이트
Regarding the evaluation of the Japanese national team, he highly evaluated Japan’s power, saying, “It’s a bit difficult for me to evaluate the players, but Japan also has a lot of good players.
However, he carefully pointed out the variables of the competition rules. The WBC has a set limit on the number of pitches per round. You cannot pitch more than 65 pitches in the first round. It is difficult for the powerful starting lineup that Japan is proud of to take full responsibility for a game. In the end, various factors such as pitcher replacement timing, bullpen fights, and short-term game variables are complexly intertwined.
Ryu Hyun-jin said, “There is a limit on the number of pitches for pitchers,” and said, “I think it will be a good game. Ryu Hyun-jin said, “First of all, you have to be proud. Watching out for injuries is the first thing,” and raised expectations, saying, “Because they are the players selected to represent our country, everyone thinks their skills are outstanding. If they do without injuries, won’t they get good results?”
Conversely, Japan was also very wary of Korea’s military power. Kodai Senga, an ace-class pitcher of the Japanese national team who signed a contract with the New York Mets this year and was unable to participate in the WBC to adapt to the team, said in an interview with ‘Sport TV News’, “Japan includes players who are active in the big leagues, such as Yu Darvish and Shohei Otani. There are a lot of great players. I think it is a dream team,” he said. “The Korean team also has many good players, including some players who are active in the major leagues. Expected,” he said, looking forward to the Japanese team’s promotion.