KIA Choi Ji-min is on the verge of being eliminated from the baseball team..."I'll throw it confidently in Premier 12"
KIA Choi Ji-min is on the verge of being eliminated from the baseball team..."I'll throw it confidently in Premier 12"
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Choi Ji-min (21), the left-handed bullpen of the KIA Tigers in the professional baseball league, was below expectations in the 2024 KBO League.
He had an outstanding record of 6-3 last year, 3 saves, 12 holds, and a 2.12 ERA, but his ERA soared to 5.09 this season.
The slump continued even after joining the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 national team.
He took the mound as the fifth pitcher in the second warm-up match against Cuba at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul on the 2nd, allowing three consecutive hits after two outs and shaking.
He stopped the first inning with one run, but he couldn't hide his anxiety.
Ryu Joong-il, the head coach of the national baseball team, agonized over the selection of Choi Ji-min as the final entry.
Ahead of the national team's last team training held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 7th, manager Ryu said, "I thought about whether to exclude Choi Ji-min," and added, "But I decided that I was nervous with one left-handed pitcher."
In addition, he added, "There is time left until the competition, so I believe my condition will recover."
Choi Ji-min was able to wear the national flag because there were fewer left-handers in the national team.
KIA Kwak Do-gyu and Choi Ji-min are the only left-handed bullpens of the national team.
Choi Ji-min is also well aware of this background. That's why my shoulders are heavier.
"It's good to stay in the national team, but I also feel responsible," Choi Ji-min said. "Now I have to do better with more confidence."
"토토사이트 It's true that my ball was not very good this season," he said. "But after the season, a lot of anxiety disappeared. It's been a lot psychologically broken, but now it's better."
In addition, he added, "The only left-hander bullpen of the national team is me and (Kwak) Do-gyu," adding, "We will prepare well for the tournament by talking a lot to each other."