The Doosan Bears of South Korean professional baseball have virtually unveiled their opening day lineup.
Doosan will face the Kiwoom Heroes in a 2025 KBO League exhibition game at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 16th. On this day, the starting lineup will feature Kim Min-seok (left fielder), Kim Jae-hwan (designated hitter), Yang Eui-ji (catcher), Cave (right fielder), Kang Seung-ho (third baseman), Yang Seok-hwan (first baseman), Oh Myung-jin (second baseman), Park Jun-young (shortstop), and Jung Soo-bin (center fielder).
Manager Lee Seung-yeop noted in an interview with reporters before the game that when asked, "Can we consider today's lineup as the opening day lineup?" he replied, "I think that’s a reasonable interpretation. There are no variables. Oh Myung-jin is at second base." Rookie Oh Myung-jin has showcased outstanding hitting in the exhibition game and has emerged as the winner in the second baseman competition. Oh Myung-jin has recorded 10 hits in 20 at-bats, with a batting average of .500.
Manager Lee praised Oh Myung-jin, saying, "He has stood out since last fall's camp, and when he arrived at spring camp, I had the same impression as during last year's final camp. He has prepared well through good body management and shows a very cautious and well-prepared approach to practice and game preparations."
He added, "Yesterday was actually the final hurdle. Regardless of the outcome, he showed his true self against left-handed pitchers, especially the first foreign pitcher he faced, without any reluctance in watching the ball. A few days ago, he also showed good performance when coming in as a pinch hitter, and even against (KIA) Nail and Oler, he had a good battle regardless of the result. He has gained confidence in that he can play sufficiently in games."
The Doosan lineup, which was revealed as the opening day lineup, has many changes compared to last year. Kim Min-seok, who was acquired through a trade, will bat first, while the speedy veteran Jung Soo-bin, who has played as a top batter for the past two years, is placed in the 9th spot in the lower lineup. Power hitter Kim Jae-hwan occupies the 2nd spot in the 'strong 2nd' batting order.
The manager emphasized, "If the leadoff batter gets a hit, the sacrifice hit needs to be there to get to second base; there are players who can hit doubles as well. By using Kim Min-seok in the 1st spot while the 2nd spot had been weak, Jae-hwan will take the 2nd position, and from the 3rd position onwards with Eui-ji, the foreign players, Seung-ho, and Seok-hwan, we can have an aggressive baseball lineup. Opposing pitchers have all improved. Scoring first is important. I understand that last season, when we grasped the momentum by the 5th inning, our chances of winning were the highest. We need to score more early on."
He further explained, "Even if there’s a little stagnation in the 1st or 2nd inning, if we start from 8th or 9th with Soo-bin, I think the 9th becomes the 1st. From spring training, I believe that using Min-seok at the 1st spot is the best batting order we can have with our current strengths."
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