The players have spirit, the front office is sincere, the Bears fans are passionate.
Practice games against Japanese Professional Baseball (NPB) clubs at the spring camp that return every year are a place where you can see the gap between Korea and Japan in baseball. The 2024 spring camp was no different. All KBO League clubs that faced Japanese clubs in Okinawa, Japan suffered defeat, once again experiencing the gap.
The only KBO League club that competed competitively with Japanese clubs was Doosan. Doosan won 9-1 against Softbank's second team, becoming the only KBO League team to win this spring camp. Also, the result of the Seibu Lions match in the Kuchun Tournament, which ended in a 4-4 draw, was disappointing because Doosan was ahead but allowed the score to be tied.
The special match against Softbank Hawks held at Fukuoka PayPay Dome on March 3 was also a game where Doosan's potential could be confirmed. On this day, the Doosan team showed courage and strong spirit and spirit. The players who visited PayPay Dome for the first time, one of the best dome stadium facilities in Japan, were momentarily intimidated by the overwhelming grandeur when they first entered the dugout of the baseball stadium. Even players who had experienced the Tokyo Dome in Japan were more inclined to support PayPay Dome.
However, once the game started, the Doosan team performed better than expected. The loss of starting pitcher Kwak Bin, who allowed two runs in the bottom of the first inning, was also disappointing as the result was a safe decision to steal second base. If there had been a video review on the game screen, there was a good chance the decision would be overturned. Yang Eui-ji, who worked with Kwak Bin that day, also said, “After the game, I received a lot of messages on my phone about the stolen base decision. He expressed regret, saying, “If (Kwak) Bin had stolen second base, the result of the run allowed could have been different.”
Doosan attempted to turn things around with Yang Eui-ji's chase solo shot in the top of the 4th inning and Kang Seung-ho's solo home run in the top of the 8th inning. Although Jeong Cheol-won, who took the mound in the bottom of the 8th inning, allowed 2 runs, including a solo home run, the momentum of the chase was broken, but he led the opponent into a situation where they could not let down their guard until the 9th inning, resulting in a 2-5 loss. The scene where rookie pitcher Kim Taek-yeon hit a top speed of 152 km/h and turned the opposing fourth hitter into a foul fly ball in a scoring situation was also impressive.
Softbank also entered the game with all its might, filling most of its top batting lineup with first-team hitters. Yuki Yanagita, Softbank's representative hitter, met with reporters after the game and said, “I have really supported Coach Seung-yeop Lee, the head coach of the opposing team, since my amateur days. So I was very happy to face Doosan. Yang Eui-ji, whom I saw at the Tokyo Olympics, was the most impressive. “He hit a home run today and I think he’s a really great player,” he said of the game.
Yanagita then said, “I didn’t really see Kim Taek-yeon’s pitch, but I thought starting pitcher Kwak Bin’s pitch was really good. The fastball was fast and the curve angle was good. “I heard he is still a young pitcher, and I think he will become a better pitcher,” he praised.
Kwak Bin also said through the club after the game, “Because it was my first appearance in spring camp, I decided to throw a few things before the game to get a feel for it, and I went in after talking with senior (Yang) Eui-ji. There were a lot of missed swings on his fastballs, which gave him confidence, but his breaking balls were also driven to the middle. It was a game in which I gained and felt a lot because I was able to identify both areas that could be considered strengths and areas that could be improved upon. I thought this game was part of the process, not the result, so I focused on the process of making it. “For now, he is only thinking about carrying out his role since the opening ceremony.”
Kwak Bin continued, “However, it was very meaningful to be able to throw in front of the fans for the first time. We are grateful that many fans came from as far away as Fukuoka. “I will prepare thoroughly for the exhibition games so that I can show a good performance during the season,” he said.
While the players showed their spirit, the Doosan club front office poured their heart into the special match with Softbank. This was because the Doosan team visited the Fukuoka PayPay Dome for the first time to face Softbank and also held an event with fans. While the Doosan cheering squad was dispatched to Fukuoka, the club's marketing team also came to Japan and carefully prepared for the event. On the day of the game, the front office started at 7 a.m. to prepare to welcome Doosan fans.
Since it was a special match that was concluded thanks to the ‘man power’ of Doosan general manager Kim Tae-ryong, the support from the Softbank team was also strong. As the Softbank team supported the Doosan team with transportation and lodging, an environment was created where this event could be held regularly every year. It was meaningful in that it opened a new chapter in which the KBO and NPB could exchange not only the internal aspects of baseball, but also the external aspects of baseball together.
Lastly, Doosan fans showed their passion. In fact, it was the first time that the KBO League's unique nurturing cheers rang out at the NPB 1st team dome stadium during a club practice game rather than a national competition. Doosan fans located near third base continued to cheer passionately from the first to the ninth inning, following the lead of the cheering team. After the game, many SoftBank fans responded online saying that they were impressed by the KBO League-style training and support.
A total of 27,227 spectators entered PayPay Dome on this day. There were approximately 33,000 advance tickets, but many tickets were canceled due to bad weather starting this morning. Doosan marked the finale of a historic special match with a high-five ceremony between fans and players on the ground after the game. Support and encouragement poured in to the Doosan players who fought well with the Softbank first team squad. Competing baseball on an equal footing with Japanese clubs, whose gap has gradually widened, is still tomorrow's baseball for most KBO League clubs, but for the Doosan Bears, March 3 was today's baseball.
Comments
Post a Comment