Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Technical Committee Chairman Jo Bum-hyeon said, “Existing first baseman Park Byeong-ho (kt. wiz)’s recovery speed and the need for utility resources in preparation for a game,” he explained.

In a phone call with Yonhap News Agency on the 6th, Chairman Cho Beom-hyeon said, “I thought about various plans before I received a call that Choi Ji-man could not participate in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).” Chae Eun-seong (Hanwha Eagles) was also nominated, but outfielder Choi Ji-hoon was selected after consulting with coaches including national team coach Lee Kang-cheol.”

On this day, the KBO announced that it had selected Choi Ji-hoon as an alternative resource, announcing the news of Choi Ji-man’s absence from the WBC, which was included in the final entry.

Choi Ji-man underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment in his elbow in November of last year, and Pittsburgh informed the WBC secretariat that he would not be able to participate, saying that he was concerned about the player’s injury.

Normally, when an existing player is missing, a player in that position is usually selected, but the national team selected a player in a different position.

With the departure of Choi Ji-man, the WBC national team’s first baseman resources were reduced to two, including Park Byung-ho and Kang Baek-ho (kt), and the number of outfielders increased from five to six.

Chairman Cho Bum-hyun said, “The reason why we initially selected three first basemen was because Park Byeong-ho’s defensive appearance was unclear.”

After Park Byeong-ho left the team due to a torn ligament in his right ankle in September of last year, he focused on recovery and rehabilitation.

He showed his fighting spirit, such as appearing as a pinch hitter at the end of the KBO League regular season, and then entered the rehabilitation process again after the season.

Fortunately, the progress was not bad, and Park Byeong-ho is steadily improving his physical condition.

Park Byung-ho’s physical condition was directly confirmed by coach Lee Kang-cheol, the team’s manager and the national team’s commander. With Choi Ji-man’s departure, Park Byung-ho became the starting first baseman in the WBC.

The characteristics of short-term matches also influenced the selection of Choi Ji-hoon.

If the WBC cannot decide a win or loss in regular innings, the match starts from the 10th inning. There are many cases where a win or loss is determined by a single point, so the importance of running and defending is great. 토토사이트

This is the reason Choi Ji-hoon, with his quick feet and excellent defensive skills, was selected.

Chairman Cho Bum-hyeon said, “Choi Ji-hoon is a player with excellent defense and counter-running abilities.”