South Korean Asiad baseball captain Park Byung-ho said that he will just play the way he usually plays for his professional club, believing his prowess at the plate will be enough to bring home the gold medal at the multisport competition that starts later this week.
“It’s an honor to be a national team member, and I feel responsible for leading the team as the captain,” said Park, the two-time reigning MVP in the Korea Baseball Organization, the first-tier domestic professional league.
The 28-year-old slugger for the Nexen Heroes was selected for the national team for the first time in his professional baseball career for this year’s Asian Games in Incheon, west of Seoul, after getting snubbed for the team before the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Park Byung-ho could become only the third KBO player ever to hit 50 home runs in a season. (Yonhap)
His credentials suggest Park’s national team debut is long overdue.
He won the league MVP in 2012 and 2013, and is a strong candidate to win another one this year. He led the league in homers in each of the past two years and is also in first place this year with 48 homers. With 10 games remaining, he could become only the third KBO player ever to hit 50 home runs in a season.
Manager Ryu Joong-il said he chose Park as the captain because the slugging first baseman for the Nexen Heroes plays best among 24 members.
“Park has hit nearly 50 homers so far. I expect him to spread his good boosting spirit to our team members. It will be a big help,” said Ryu.
Park said he knows what to do for the national team as the cleanup hitter in the order.
“I don’t think there is any difference between the national team captain and the No. 4 hitter,” said Park, who also ranks second in RBIs and runs scored in the KBO this year.
“I’ll focus on boosting the team atmosphere as I always do for my club as a cleanup hitter,” he said.
Park said he is in good condition to lift the team to the highest spot on the podium.
“I’ve been on a roll since the second half of the season,” he said. “I will devote myself to winning the gold that all of us desire.”
Left-handed pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun, expected to start the final slated for Sept. 28, is also confident in contributing to the team’s fourth Asiad gold medal.
“Now I’m in good form,” said the 26-year-old who won the 2008 KBO MVP. “I have struggled in recent outings but I don’t think my stuff is bad. I’m confident.”
Kim won gold at the 2008 Olympic Games but failed to join the national team for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games due to an injury.
For this year’s Asiad on home soil, he is expected to take the role of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, who started in the gold medal game four years ago. “I know there are other relief pitchers behind me. I’ll throw the ball at my utmost and hand over to the next pitcher,” said Kim, who has expressed hope of joining Major League Baseball after this season. “I’ll do my best to bring the gold medal to manager Ryu and the Korean people.”
Team Korea will have the opener against Thailand on Monday next week after a week-long workout session in Seoul.
South Korea is in Group B, along with Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand. South Korea and Taiwan are favored for the two semifinal spots out of the group. In Group A, Japan, China, Pakistan and Mongolia are competing for the two other semifinal berths. (Yonhap)
