Finally together’ Will the pitching genius born in 2003 achieve Japan even if he overthrows APBC?

 Finally, the two geniuses born in Gwangju wear the same uniform. Running with the Taegeuk symbol. This itself is of interest. It would be best if we could even ‘overthrow Japan’.

On the 24th, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) confirmed and announced 26 national team entries for the Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) 2023.

Four countries, including Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia, are participating. It is a battleground for young players. Players who are 24 years of age or younger (born after January 1, 1999) or within 3 years of joining (joined after 2021) will participate. Up to three people under the age of 29 (born after January 1, 1994) can participate as wild cards.

The APBC national team, led by coach Ryu Joong-il, is comprised of almost all gold medalists from the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. In addition, Lee Ui-ri, Jeong Hae-young, Choi Jun-yong, Choi Seung-yong, Son Seong-bin, Kim Do-young, and Park Seung-gyu were additionally named. In addition, 20 people were separately selected as preliminary entries.

The ones that attract the most attention are Moon Dong-ju and Kim Do-young. Players who have been called ‘geniuses’ since their high school days. After all, they are both from Gwangju. In the first round of nominations for 2022 rookies, KIA was given ‘happy troubles’.

After careful consideration, KIA chose Kim Do-young. Accordingly, Hanwha adopted Moon Dong-ju using the first round of nomination rights at the national level. KIA said they had acquired the ‘second Lee Jong-beom’, and Hanwha said they had brought in the ‘ace of the decade’.

I adapted early to becoming a professional. Dong-ju Moon recorded 13 games, 28.2 innings, 1 win, 3 losses, 2 holds, and an ERA of 5.65 in the 2022 season, his first year. And he pitched 23 games, 118.2 innings this year, with 8 wins, 8 losses, and an earned run average of 3.72. He also officially became the first player in history to throw 160 kilometers per hour.

He also went to the Asian Games. It was decided to mainly feature young players, and Moon Dong-ju was also selected. He pitched twice against Taiwan. First of all, in the group round, they were disappointed with 2 runs in 4 innings.먹튀검증

Instead, they faced Chinese Taipei again in the finals and pitched 6 scoreless innings. He roared loudly and proudly hung the gold medal around his neck. It continues to APBC. It is expected to be used in this competition as well.

And this is Kim Do-young. Last year, his first year, he played in 103 games, batted 0.237, had 3 home runs, 19 RBIs, and had an OPS of 0.674. He is not an outstanding figure. He was good this year with 84 games played, a batting average of 0.303, 7 home runs, 47 RBI, and an OPS of 0.824.

He had the misfortune of suffering a metatarsal fracture in the opening series against SSG. He returned in late June and made his presence felt by completing the entire season. In his second year, he proudly became KIA’s starting infielder. He is a top-notch infielder in batting, defense, and base running.

Unfortunately, he was not selected for the Hangzhou Asian Games team. He had strong competition for the same position. All he had to do was watch the performance of Moon Dong-ju, his friend and motivation for joining the pro ranks. Instead, he was named to the APBC national team. This is his first selection to the adult national team. Nothing has been decided yet, but Kim Do-young is a worthy starting shortstop.

APBC’s inaugural competition was held in 2017. At that time, Korea recorded 1 win and 1 loss in the preliminaries, then lost to Japan in the finals and finished as runners-up. The one loss suffered in the preliminaries was also a loss to Japan. I lost after a competitive battle. In the final, they lost 0-7.

It was scheduled to be held once every four years, but the event was canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. The second competition will be held in 2023, six years later. Korea’s goal is to win. Of course, you have to overcome Japan to win.

Moon Dong-ju and Kim Do-young stand at the forefront of ‘Overthrow Japan.’ The ability is sufficient. Moon Dong-ju even stood on the big stage of the Asian Games finals. The pitching geniuses born in 2003 are coming. raining99@sportsseoul.com