ethernetacademy.netRyu Jung-il’s Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team is an all-right-handed affair, with the “eldest” Park Se-woong, Kwak Bin, Won Tae-in, Moon Dong-joo, and Jang Hyun-seok all starting.
The team was expected to field a left-handed starter against either Chinese Taipei or Japan, but Lee Yi-ri and Koo Chang-mo failed to make the final roster, making right-handers even more important. Coach Ryu Joong-il hoped to rely on Kwak Bin (Doosan) and Moon Dong-ju (Hanwha).
Kwak Bin, who joined Doosan in 2018 after graduating from Bae Myung Go, is having a career-high season, going 11-7 with a 2.97 ERA in 22 games this season, his first career double-digit win total. Second-year Moon Dong-ju, whose fastball reaches nearly 160 km/h, is also a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year with an 8-8 record and 3.72 ERA.
The duo put a smile on coach Ryu Joong-il’s face by throwing a perfect game against the Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Commerce) in a scrimmage at the Gocheok Sky Dome on Saturday. Kwak Bin, who started for the national team, shut down the opposition with three innings of one-hit ball, one walk and no strikeouts. Moon Dong-ju started for the commercial team and pitched three scoreless innings with two hits and five strikeouts.
Ryu said, “The coaches who experienced the Tokyo Olympic team said that the players are in much better shape now than they were two years ago. First of all, the pitchers seem to be in good shape.”
With Chinese Taipei as the team to watch out for, Ryu hinted at using Kwak Bin or Moon Dong-ju as his starting pitchers against the Chinese Taipei. “We have Park Se-woong, but Kwak Bin and Moon Dong-joo are our aces right now. If we go to the final round, we will meet Japan or Taiwan, so Kwak Bin or Moon Dong-ju should go out,” he said.먹튀검증
On how he plans to utilize his left-handed 33-hit duo of Kim Young-gyu and Choi Ji-min, he said, “I’m thinking of using them as a one-pitcher after the sixth inning, or even for three batters if it’s okay.
The pitchers must be supported by a solid defense so that they can throw to their heart’s content. Coach Ryu Jung-il, a former shortstop, said, “We did a lot of defense training. Since the pitchers and hitters of different teams are gathered, it is inevitable that each team’s signature play and breathing will be different. After the national team was called up, we focused on this aspect.”
Ground conditions are also important. “The field is newly laid with artificial turf, so the grass is expected to be a little longer. We also need to look at the soil conditions. We will check it well when we train tomorrow.”