‘Are you still Kim Kwang-hyun?’

This phrase, which comes out every time Kim Gwang-hyeon (35, SSG) is selected for the national team, is the main repertoire used as a basis for the theory of a crisis in Korean baseball. It is a lamentation that there is no young player to replace Kim Gwang-hyun, who has been in his 17th year as a pro. The atmosphere is not much different ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC). However, I was disappointed with this reaction.

On the 12th (Korean time) at the SSG 1st team spring camp held in Vero Beach, Florida, USA, Kim Gwang-hyun said, “I actually feel a lot of pride 온라인바카라at the word ‘Kim Gwang-hyun’. confessed

He continued, “I was proud of myself, and I was very proud of myself thinking, ‘I still have a competitive edge among young juniors.’ I will try my best to show a good side of myself in ”(Kim Gwang-hyun) and feel that ‘(Kim Kwang-hyun) is still alive’.”

The phrase ‘still Kim Kwang-hyun’ has a strong negative nuance. The main target is a young pitcher who has not been able to beat the 35-year-old Kim Gwang-hyun, but depending on what you hear, it can be seen as a criticism of the league level where a pitcher of that age is still competitive.

It can feel bad enough from the point of view of a player who just did his job. It is all the more so if that player is Kim Gwang-hyun, who showed competitiveness in the US major league two years ago with 7 wins, 7 losses and an average ERA of 3.46 in 27 games. When the major league labor-management negotiations were concluded three days after Kim Gwang-hyun returned to SSG, his status was also proven by the fact that there were many local media in the United States who were sorry for his misfortune.

It is not surprising that Kim Gwang-hyun, who was a competitive major leaguer, recorded an average ERA of 2.13 with 13 wins and 3 losses in 28 games in the KBO League last year. Having missed the Golden Glove in the pitching category, he is qualified not only in terms of experience in many international competitions, but also in terms of skills.

Kim Gwang-hyeon, who was the youngest member of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has become the first pitcher to wear the Taegeuk mark for the 6th time. In this way, Kim Gwang-hyun’s experience in many international competitions is essential for this WBC, where countries around the world have the best players.

Moreover, the burden on the players in this WBC is considerable. This is because the Korean national baseball team has not performed well in recent international competitions, and last year the Korean national football team reached the round of 16 at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and gained explosive popularity. As such, the international competition that came after a long time after 3 years after the 2019 Premier12 is a great opportunity for the baseball world.

Kim Gwang-hyun expressed his determination, saying, “There is no national team member who is not burdened. I have always participated in stressful games and stood in such a position. This tournament will be no different. I have always tried to win with all my might. I will go out with the same mindset.” .