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Slugger Lee Dae-ho joins national team training for WBC

Posted February. 18, 2017 07:09,   

Updated February. 18, 2017 07:14

한국어
At a baseball park where a hitting practice was taking place, the ground suddenly became noisy. Everyone from the national team including the youngest Kim Ha-seong of Nexen Heroes and coaches Kim Gwang-soo and Kim Pyeong-ho all crowded around and welcomed Lotte Giants first baseman Lee Dae-ho who joined the Okinawa off-season training in Japan with World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team on Friday.

Returning to the Korean league this season, Lee planned to join the national team after he finished his first spring camp in Arizona, the U.S. with his Lotte teammates until Feb. 22. He was forced to arrive back, however, as he received a love-call from the national team. As a player with professional league experience in Korea, the U.S., and Japan, Lee is the first choice as the clean-up hitter for the national team. During the 2015 Premier 12 semi-finals against Japan, Lee also placed the national team on the top as he hit the game-winner in the 9th as the cleanup.

Though being the eldest among fielders with a greater role within the team, Lee was treated just like the other players. On this day, Lee arrived in Okinawa, changed clothes at his hotel, and then headed straight to the ground. He was met with batting coach Lee Soon-cheol who hurried Lee to “warm up,” but still managed to finish all his training sessions after whining to the coach that “my knees are aching after a long flight.” As Lee hit long-distance balls, Coach Lee lavished him with praises, saying that he “worked out well.” What’s more, Lee went through an additional hitting session with Lee Yong-kyu of Hanwha Eagles and Min Byung-heon of Doosan Bears while others left the park.

Though nothing changed in the regular hitting session, Lee brightened up the general atmosphere in the national team. The crowd broke into laughter when Lee saluted at attention to Lee Dae-eun of National Police Agency with his hair cut returned after a four-week military training last month.

“I am humbled that an old player like me was chosen as a national team member," Lee said after his first training. "So what’s most important is playing my best. I will do my best to meet the expectations of my fans, as the first round will be held in Korea.” On comments that the Korean team weakened in striking power as Major Leaguers Choo Shin-soo of Texas Rangers and Kim Hyun-soo of Baltimore Orioles failed to list their names on the roster, Lee said, “We are bound to face criticisms every time a national team is set, but still, we will play harder to relieve those concerns.”

Korean baseball legends including the Hanwha Eagles Manager Kim Seong-geun and the “Korean express” Park Chan-ho visited the site to cheer the national team. “Newcomers will be able to enjoy the games when Oh Seung-hwan closes neatly and Kim Tae-gyun fires homeruns,” said Park who played as an all-rounder at the first round as the starting and closing pitcher in 2006. Saint Louis relief pitcher Oh Seung-hwan who is currently training in the U.S. will join the national team on Feb. 27 at Gocheok Stadium in Seoul.



Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com