"I will prepare for a good performance in the warm-up match + WBC"...Director Ryu Ji-hyun's firm determination to clash with Japan at Tokyo Dome in November
"I will prepare for a good performance in the warm-up match + WBC"...Director Ryu Ji-hyun's firm determination to clash with Japan at Tokyo Dome in November
Blog Article
"We will prepare to perform well in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) as well as in the warm-up match."스포츠토토
Ryu Ji-hyun, head coach of the South Korean national baseball team, who will hold an exhibition match against Japan at Tokyo Dome in November, expressed his strong ambition.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and NPB (Japan Baseball Organization) announced the Korea-Japan national baseball team's warm-up match at 1:30 p.m. on the 17th at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel in Tokyo with KBO President Hu Jie-yeon, head coach Ryu Ji-hyun, NPB president Sadayuki Sakakibara and Japanese national baseball team coach Hirokazu Ibata.
The two-day warm-up match, which will take place at Tokyo Dome in Japan on Nov. 15 and 16, will be the first warm-up match between the two countries. The 2026 WBC will be held in March next year, which is all the more important. Korea has been selected in Group C along with Japan, Taiwan, Australia, and the Czech Republic. If the team ranks second in the group, it can qualify for the second round.
In a press conference held after the announcement of the warm-up match, Ryu said, "This is my first international match since I took the helm of the national team. Personally, I am very excited and nervous to play against Japan at Tokyo Dome, the heart of Japanese baseball," adding, "This warm-up match is a very important match to be played three months before the WBC in March next year. It will be a meaningful time to check the condition of the Korean national team players and gauge the players who will be selected for the final entry through the two games. Of course, it is a very important match because we can analyze the history of Japan that will face off in the finals."
Ryu has been a member of the national team since he was a first-time coach. He recently served as coach of the national team at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) 2023, and the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12.
"I have been watching matches in Japan for many years as a coaching staff member at various international competitions," Ryu said. "Japan is a strong team that is extremely detailed and powerful. "It is clear that he is a very demanding and difficult opponent," he said, adding, "We will also prepare for a good performance in the WBC as well as in the warm-up match."
Ryu's mission is heavy. Korean baseball, which has been popular on the international stage since the mid-2000s, is facing a clear crisis recently. It suffered back-to-back first-round elimination at the 2013 WBC and 2017 WBC, and suffered humiliating no-medal (fourth place) at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, which were held in 2021.
Since then, Korean baseball has tried to overcome this with a generational change when it accepted the bitter report that it was eliminated in the first round of three consecutive tournaments after suffering a 4-13 defeat by Japan in the 2023 WBC. The baton went to former national team coach Ryu Joong-il, and he also confirmed his desired performance by winning and runner-up at the Hangzhou Asian Games and APBC 2023, respectively.
However, at the Premier 12 held at the end of last year, the Korean team once again confirmed its gap with the world. It aimed to advance to the Super Round (semi-finals) as its goal, but failed to achieve its goal. Against this backdrop, Ryu, who took the helm of the Korean national team in January, should produce a clear result at the 2026 WBC.
"WBC is a competition where some of the world's best players gather," Ryu said. Some Korean players in the U.S. Major League Baseball strongly appeal their intention to participate. As long as there are no injuries, the team will be formed to build the strongest team in March next year. Through the Hangzhou Asian Games and APBC, a number of young players in the KBO League have grown significantly. In line with the new structure, we plan to play at the WBC next year with the best capability."
LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently expressed his willingness to actively support players who are showing their willingness to play in the WBC. The Dodgers includes infielder Kim Hye-sung and right-handed pitcher Jang Hyun-seok.
Manager Ryu smiled, saying, "It is good to see the world's most famous players participate in the competition. The Dodgers have Kim Hye-sung and Jang Hyun-seok among Korean players. If Roberts actively supports us, it is also hopeful and welcome news for us."
The KBO League introduced the pitch clock to shorten the game time starting this year. The pitch clock is likely to be applied to the WBC as well.
Manager Ryu Ji-hyun said, "There has been a trial run since last year. It was officially introduced this year. The game is also rapidly progressing in the KBO League. We are playing a game that fans can enjoy," adding, "There is a high possibility that next year's WBC will also have a pitch clock. I hope that it will be of great help to our pitchers and hitters if we naturally adapt to this season."