Choo Shin-soo was beaten up for insisting on a 'generation change in the national team'…Why do Lee Jung-hoo's determined remarks gain sympathy
Choo Shin-soo was beaten up for insisting on a 'generation change in the national team'…Why do Lee Jung-hoo's determined remarks gain sympathy
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Choo Shin-soo (43), who retired last year and turned into the owner's special assistant and general manager of SSG Landers in professional baseball, caused a big issue at this time two years ago due to the theory of replacement of the national team generation.
In an interview with a Korean radio station in Dallas, Texas, Choo expressed regret over the selection of players for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team, saying, "If I were you, I would have seen the future. If you look at the future rather than the current performance, it is right that many players don't go. There should be more players to be selected," and he was scolded by saying, "Until when will it be Kim Kwang-hyun (SSG) or Yang Hyun-jong (KIA)."메이저놀이터
Choo Shin-soo's remarks sparked controversy along with his argument that Ahn Woo-jin, who has a past history of school violence, should be elected. Although he was criticized for his unsophisticated expressions such as "Forgiveness is not easy in Korea" and "He is not a senior because he is older," his statement that young prospects should be raised on a big stage gained some sympathy.
At the 2023 WBC, Korea was caught up by Australia, which was considered one step behind, and suffered a bitter taste of being eliminated early in the first round. Since then, the Korean team has started replacement of generations from a long-term perspective, as Choo Shin-soo suggested. At the same year's Hangzhou Asian Games, the team set the criteria for selecting players under the age of 25 and having joined the team four years later. The team drastically lowered its average age from 29.4 at the WBC to 23.2 to win the gold medal.
The following year's Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) could include three wild card players under the age of 29 in addition to players under the age of 24 and under in their third year as professionals, but only one player (Jihoon Choi) was used, continuing the generation change. The team focused on artificially accumulating experience as young players.
In last year's Premier 12 as well, the KBO continued its direction as a young national team, saying that it selected players in their 20s who can play at the 2026 WBC and 2028 LA Olympics. Four of the 28 players are in their 30s (Park Dong-won, Ko Young-pyo, Lim Chan-kyu and Hong Chang-ki), with an average age of 24.6 years. However, they were beaten by Taiwan and confirmed Japan's high wall. As Ryu Joong-il was humiliated by being eliminated from the group league, the system ended.
No matter how generational it is, criticism arose as it suffered three consecutive disasters at major international competitions following the no-medal of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the elimination of the first round of the WBC in 2023. It opened the era of 10 million spectators for the first time, but its national competitiveness has fallen behind due to repeated sluggish international competitions. Fans are disappointed, and they should make every effort to win next year's WBC under coach Ryu Ji-hyun.
Against this backdrop, major leaguer Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco)'s remarks are eye-catching. After the spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona on the 16th (Korea time), Lee Jung-hoo said in an interview with Korean reporters, "I hope KBO prepares well for the WBC. I watched Premier 12 last year, and it was a generational change. But I don't think it should consist of only young players. When I'm in the mood, it burns up, but when it sinks, someone can't lead me and it sinks."
"We need veteran players who can maintain the balance and young players who are full of fighting spirit and energy. We need to build a good team only when we harmonize well," Lee said. "The team is not on its way to gain experience. Players who showed the best performance in the year go and fight for Korea. It is better for both veteran and young players to go together."
Lee Jung-hoo argues that the national team should build its elite fighting power, contrary to Choo's argument of replacing the generation two years ago. This is a rebuttal to Choo's argument, but things have changed a lot over the past two years, and people seem to agree with Lee's remarks. The Korean baseball community feels a sense of crisis, which it cannot afford to back down at international competitions any longer. Performance is the top priority. The WBC, hosted by the MLB Secretariat, is the largest international competition in the world, and even incumbent major leaguers can play. Best members can be formed around active big leaguers such as Lee Jung-hoo, Kim Ha-sung (Tampa Bay), and Kim Hye-sung (LA Dodgers).
Through generational change over the past two years, young players including pitchers Kwak Bin, Won Tae-in, Moon Dong-ju, Park Young-hyun, Kim Taek-yeon, infielders Kim Do-young, Park Sung-han, Noh Si-hwan, Moon Bo-kyung, and outfielder Yoon Dong-hee have distinguished themselves in the national team by gaining experience. If experienced veterans who will ease the burden on these players take the center stage, they will be able to form the best national team in harmony. There are still many veterans in their late 30s who are still in the league, including Ryu Hyun-jin, Kim Kwang-hyun, Yang Hyun-jong, Kang Min-ho, Yang Eui-ji, Choi Jeong and Choi Hyung-woo. It is not necessary to exclude veterans with good performance just because they are young in the Korean baseball league.