Even without Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego Padres) and Tommy Hyeon-su Edman (28, St. Louis Cardinals), who are considered the best infield combination of the Korean national team, the infield keystone combination was solid.
The 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Korean national team won 10-2 in a practice match against SSG Landers Futures at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 3rd. Although major leaguers Kim Ha-seong and Edmund did not participate in the match, several achievements were obtained.
According to the rules of the Major League Secretariat, major league players cannot play until the WBC official evaluation match on the 6th. Two fielders, who are considered top-notch defenders in the major leagues, were missing, but there was a player in the national team’s infield that had a strong presence. Oh Ji-hwan (33, LG Twins) and Kim Hye-seong (24, Kiwoom Heroes) are the main characters.
On this day, Oh Ji-hwan started as the second hitter and shortstop, and Kim Hye-seong started as the first hitter and second baseman. They are located side by side at the table setter and even took charge of the keystone combination.
It was Kim Hye-seong who stood out first. He led the national team’s offense, boasting good batting condition, recording multiple hits. She started warming up in earnest by hitting a heavy hit against Kim Gwang-hyun (35, SSG) in her first at-bat. After that, in the second at-bat, he made another hit against Gwak Bin (24, Doosan Bears), completing the two-hit game early.
Oh Ji-hwan was the same. As a key shortstop in the infield defense, he did his part well enough. On this day, Oh Ji-hwan lightened the shoulders of the pitchers by making two hobi. In the beginning of the 4th inning, he lightly handled Lee Ji-young (37, Kiwoom)’s assault ball with his backhand from the 2nd, 2nd and 3rd bases, blocking the run. Soon after, in the beginning of the 5th inning, he blocked Go Myung-jun (21, SSG)’s assault ball at the first and third bases, and led to double hits in the direction of shortstop, second baseman, and first baseman. In the other line, he recorded three hits, including one double, and added strength in the offense.
Oh Ji-hwan and Kim Hye-seong served as table setters and reached base a total of six times, creating many scoring opportunities on base. He also showed a sense of stability in defense and kept the infield solid. Coach Lee Kang-cheol said in an interview after the game, “From Arizona, the players (Oh Ji-hwan and Kim Hye-seong) showed a really good condition to the point where they started as starting pitchers. He played a lot of games and his sense of the game has improved a lot.” 먹튀검증
When entering the WBC, Kim Ha-seong and Edmon will be the main players. Oh Ji-hwan and Kim Hye-seong should be in charge of backup. However, even if there is a void in the national team, I was able to laugh while confirming the value of Oh Ji-hwan and Kim Hye-seong, who can always fill the void.