“I will definitely take revenge for losing the Tokyo Olympics.”
Park Hae-min, a reliable outfielder for the LG Twins, was named to the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team list for the first time in his life. He has previously participated in Asian Games and Olympics, such as the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but is the first to board the WBC.
He is one of the best players in the league on defense and running. At the time of the Tokyo Olympics, he made a big success with 11 hits, 5 RBIs and 7 points with a batting average of 0.440 in 7 games. Before the start of the season, he prepared to secure the outfield of Lee Kang-cheol, not LG.
Park Hae-min, who had a phone call with MK Sports on the 5th, said, “The national team is a place I always want to go. He thought he wanted to go this time too. I’ve been to the Olympics and the Asian Games, but this is the first WBC. Players who went to the WBC said that, but they said it was good to experience it.”
For the first time in his career, he was named to the WBC national team roster. How would he feel when he was chosen.
He said, “There was talk of a generational change, and since there is a good player named Choi Ji-hoon, I thought, ‘Is it possible? Still, he had more expectations than the Olympics or Asian Games, so I was looking forward to it,” he laughed.
The WBC will start in March. You shouldn’t be pulling yourself up for the regular season, which usually starts in April. From now on, we must set the pace with the mindset that March is the start of the season.
He also said, “I am still steadily lifting weights, and I quickly entered technical training. Until he goes to spring camp, in the mornings he puts everything into his workouts and in the afternoons he tries to spend time with his family,” he said.
Park Hae-min left the familiar Samsung Lions and wore an LG uniform to secure the Jamsil outfield. He played all 144 league games this season, batting 0.289, 165 hits, 3 homers, 49 RBIs, 97 points and 22 steals. His batting average was low at 0.183 in the month of April, but he managed to rebound from May.
Park Hae-min said, “Personally, it was a difficult month, but I think it’s fortunate that my personal grades were good. However, he did not perform well for the team. He prepared a lot to win, but it is regrettable that he could not reach his goal.”
Park Hae-min continued, “In 2023, not getting sick is the most important thing. Also, LG is a team that aims to win every year. Even after finishing second in the regular season this time, I couldn’t go to the Korean Series. I also haven’t won the Korean Series since winning the Korean Series in 2014, and I haven’t been to the Korean Series since 2015. For me and the team, I think 2023 is important.” 스포츠토토
How do you feel about going to the WBC? Park Hae-min expressed his determination to do his best in the role the national team needs, whether it be a starter, a great defense, or a substitute. He also showed a willingness to take revenge on Japan for causing pain at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Park Hae-min said, “At the Tokyo Olympics, I didn’t think I would be the starting pitcher. If you go out as a main player, there will be a role as soon as you go out. In addition, large runners and large defenses have their own roles. Probably this time, there is a high probability of being a large runner and a large defense, but I will contribute to the team in any way.”
Finally, he said, “The person I want to meet is the United States, the Dominican Republic. They said he would come out as a good member this time. However, it is important to pass the qualifiers because we can only meet in the semifinals,” he said. “As a player who experienced the Tokyo Olympics, I was unfortunately defeated by Japan at that time. In order to increase popularity, a victory in the Korea-Japan match is necessary. I will definitely avenge my defeat at the Tokyo Olympics.”
The Korea-Japan match will be held on March 10th at 7pm.