"I hope Hyun-jin pitches well."
The South Korean national baseball team for the World Baseball Classic (WBC), managed by Ryu Ji-hyun, will play an eighth-final against the Dominican Republic on the 14th (Korean time) at LoanDepot Park in Miami, the United States. Korea announced Ryu Hyun-jin as the starting pitcher to face the Dominican Republic.
Ryu Hyun-jin started as the opening pitcher against Taiwan on the 8th, recording three innings, three hits (one home run), three strikeouts and one earned run. Manager Ryu said, "The Dominican Republic is a team made up of players at the world's highest level. There are many superstars, but we did thorough scouting analysis," and explained the reason for naming Ryu Hyun-jin as the starter, "Because it's Ryu Hyun-jin. He is the most reliable card."
Ryu Hyun-jin is Korea's representative ace, with a KBO League career total of 244 games (1,566 2/3 innings), 117 wins, 67 losses, one save and a 2.95 earned run average. He also dominated the U.S. stage with 186 major league games (1,055 1/3 innings), 78 wins, 48 losses and a 3.27 earned run average. He is the only pitcher who has faced the Dominican batters who will play against Korea.
Before a 13th exhibition game against the Samsung Lions, manager Kim Kyung-moon said, "Hyun-jin has faced those batters in the U.S., so I hope he goes out as the starter, fulfills his role and pitches well," and added, "Although the Dominican Republic is strong, we can play without pressure. I hope for an upset."
Ryu Hyun-jin won KBO League rookie of the year and MVP in his debut season and served as a pillar of Korean baseball. In his third year, he won the gold medal with manager Kim Kyung-moon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and he still wears the Taegeuk mark with unwaning skill, shouldering the national team mound.
Manager Kim Kyung-moon praised Ryu Hyun-jin, saying, "First of all, being selected for the national team itself is remarkable. Even after such surgery, he has been able to play because he managed his body," and added, "As a pitcher it is not an excessive swing. Young juniors should learn a lot from those aspects."
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