Its Lee Ui-ri who Overcame the Disappointment of Hangzhou AG
It’s been a while since I threw something, but the weather is cold… ”.
Lee Ui-ri (KIA), the left-handed ace of the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) national team
shared his thoughts on pitching in a practice game against the Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Sangmu) on the 11th.
Lee Ui-ri, who started as the national team’s starting pitcher, had difficulty controlling his pitch due to the cold weather
but pitched two innings without allowing any runs (2 hits, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts).
Lee Ui-ri was in danger in the first inning with hits by Na Seung-yeop and Kim Hwi-jip with one out and runners on first and second base
but he overpowered Jo Se-jin and Jeong Min-gyu with a fly to left field and a missed swing strikeout, respectively.
Lee Ui-ri, who gave up a walk to leadoff hitter Kwon Dong-jin in the second inning 지울프-토토
tied up Lee Joo-hyung (strikeout), Son Seong-bin (right field fly ball), and Han Tae-yang (strikeout).
Lee Ui-ri was replaced by Kwak Bin in the third inning.
Lee Ui-ri, whom we met at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 12th, said, “It’s been a while since I threw
but the weather was cold… “He said.
Manager Ryu Joong-il, looking back on his second practice game, said, “We focused on checking the pitchers’ condition, and they pitched relatively well even in the cold.
I guess the weather didn’t affect my ball control, but it will get much better when I go to Tokyo Dome,” he predicted.
Lee Ui-ri said, “Because the weather was cold, my body stiffened a lot in the second inning.
He said, “Because it was a short game, I wanted to show an impact regardless of whether I threw a lot or a little, so I added pitching (after finishing pitching) to increase the number of pitches.”
The KBO test-operated the ABS system (automatic ball judging system), also known as ‘robot referee’, from the first practice game against Sangmu on the 8th.
Most pitchers who participated in the practice game agreed that “the strike zone is narrow.”
On the other hand, Lee Ui-ri noted the positive part, saying, “Usually, there are a few things that deviate slightly
but it wasn’t bad because I caught those things.
He also said, “Whenever a counter throw comes in
I always catch it (with a strike), so there are good aspects to me in that regard.” did.
Adaptation to the official ball is also smooth.
It felt a little big at first, but I’m adapting well.
If I go to Tokyo Dome (where the temperature is higher than Korea), I won’t have any problems pitching,” he said.
He said that he is also closely looking at the power analysis data provided by the KBO of the Australian, Japanese, and Taiwanese national team hitters.
Starting with the match against Australia on the 16th, Korea will face Japan on the 17th and Taiwan on the 18th.
Each team will play a full league of 3 preliminaries, then the 1st and 2nd place teams will play the finals, and the 3rd and 4th place teams will play the 3rd place match.
The national team, which finished second behind Japan in the first tournament in 2017, is poised to continue its momentum of winning the baseball gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Lee Ui-ri said, “I don’t know when I will leave, but I will do my best in the position given to me.
As I climb the mound wearing the Taegeuk symbol, I will take responsibility and pitch hard,” he said, showing his fighting spirit.
Meanwhile, Lee Ui-ri, a graduate of Gwangju Jeil High School, debuted on the professional stage after receiving the first round of nomination from KIA in 2021.
Lee Ui-ri, who won the Rookie of the Year award after appearing in 19 games in his first year,
going 4 wins, 5 losses, and an average ERA of 3.61, achieved double-digit wins (10 wins, 10 losses) for the first time since his debut last year, and this season
he finished his personal season with 11 wins and 7 losses (average ERA 3.96). A new record was created for the most wins.
He gained experience on the international stage by playing as a member of the national team at the Tokyo Olympics and the 5th World Baseball Classic.