I like to deal with the fast ball." ... Question to 'Manager Yeom' was also asked
At a press conference after the game between the LG Twins and the San Diego Padres on Sunday, a reporter asked Yeom Kyung-yeop, "This is not a Korean reporter, but a reporter from MLB Network in the U.S. He was John Paul Morosi. Any fan who is interested in the Major League Baseball would be familiar with the name." (He became more famous with the "big misinformation" of Shohei Ohtani going to the Toronto Blue Jays this offseason).
He asked about Moon Bok-kyung, the third baseman, not Oh Ji-hwan, who hit a home run against Dylan Cease or Lim Chan-kyu, who struck out seven in the LG Twins' 4-5 defeat. He said "Hello" first before asking this question.
Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop seemed slightly surprised. After hearing the question through simultaneous interpretation, he said, "Moon Bo-kyung rarely played as a first baseman to take a step forward in last year's season. There are unfavorable conditions in the third base because of his weak shoulder, but he is doing well by covering up his weaknesses. I think the first base defense is second to none in any league."
After the press conference, reporter Morosi said he was curious about the level of defense Moon Bo-kyung, who played as a first baseman in the Team Korea game on Thursday and as a third baseman in the LG game on Sunday. "I wanted to know how the coach evaluates Moon Bo-kyung as a first baseman and a third baseman, respectively. Manager Yeom Kyung-yeop said that Moon's throwing ability needs to be further developed as a third baseman, but his defense on the first base is good. "I was curious about the potential of Moon Bo-kyung because I was always watching games of the Korean national baseball team, including Premier 12, World Baseball Classic, and the Olympics," he said.
Morosi said he was well aware of the background of Moon's role as a first baseman in the national team. "I think it is because we have to play with Roh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles). Usually, Roh plays third baseman and Moon Bo-kyung plays first baseman, but the national team thought it would be appropriate to deploy both players. Still, I was curious about the defense's assessment, which led to this question," he said. "Both Moon and Roh are third basemen in the national team. So I think one should play third basemen and one should play first basemen."
I paid attention to Moon because of his athletic ability and fast ball handling ability. "I thought positively about Moon Bok-kyung. He was a tall player, but he displayed outstanding performance considering his physical physique. It was impressive to steal a base in the last game (Team Korea vs. San Diego on July 17). Also, hitting fast balls is quite a difficult challenge, but I was impressed by him in that regard. He made a difficult play in defense (played by Manny Machado in the third inning against LG vs. San Diego on April 18). He hit the ball going backward well, and made a long throw. He is a good player."
"Moon Bo-kyung will be one of the most important players for the Korean national team at the Premier 12 this year, the next WBC, and the Olympics. I need to be able to hit faster (in international competitions), but seeing his swing, I think he can handle high-quality fastballs," he said.
It is by no means an empty remark that Morosi is interested in Korea. He showed keen interest in Asian baseball, visiting the Tokyo Dome not only for the WBC hosted by the Major League Baseball Secretariat but also for the 2019 Premier 12 hosted by the WBSC. In 2013, he handed over his business card to Korean reporters who came to cover the rookie of the year Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Didn't Noh rank second in the MVP vote last year? I think he can challenge himself to win the MVP award again this year," he said, understanding the results of last year's MVP vote. "The third baseman is highly valued in defense than the first baseman, so I think there is a high possibility that he will receive a good evaluation in the MVP vote. It may vary depending on who plays better defense as a third baseman between Noh and Moon, but I think Moon can also be an MVP candidate like Roh," he said.
Interest in the Korean national team continued in the ensuing special game. Morosi wrote on his Twitter account that he watched Kim Taek-yeon (Doosan Bears) take the mound against the Dodgers on Wednesday. "We have to remember the name Kim Taek-yeon, the right-handed pitcher. The 18-year-old struck out two Dodgers batters he faced, Teoscar Hernandez and James Outman. Kim induced the batter to swing and miss with his fastball. He could be seen as a starting pitcher in the next WBC game."
There was also a comment on Moon Bo-kyung. "Moon Bo-kyung, a 23-year-old infielder, is an influential corner infielder. She has excellent batting ability and good focus," Morosi said, drawing attention to Moon once again.
Although Moon did not make the final entry to the 2023 WBC, he was recognized for his potential by his seniors in the baseball community when he made the preliminary entry. He was the first player to wear the national flag on the team's roster for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which consisted of young players, and won the gold medal here, receiving special exemption from military service. He failed to participate in the Korean Series, but was also selected as a member of the national team at the 2023 APBC (Asia Professional Baseball Championship) held last fall.
This means that he has been selected for three consecutive national teams including Team Korea. With generational changes in the national team taking place, the third consecutive selection is certainly a meaningful sign. As Morosi said, Moon Bok-kyung is considered to be a player who can become a built-in infielder for the national team in the future.메이저 토토사이트
Moon Bo-kyung met before the game on Wednesday and still couldn't believe that he played in the same ground with major leaguers. When a U.S. reporter said well, he was surprised, saying, "Wow, Moon Bo-kyung has succeeded."