When I joined in 2008, I was a reporting player. He has been called the best catcher in the college league, but has not reached the attention of pro teams.
He stood tall as a ‘national catcher’ in 15 years. Kiwoom Heroes Lee Ji-young’s anti-war drama.
Lee Ji-young was selected as the catcher along with Yang Eui-ji (Doosan Bears) for the Korean national team at the 5th World Baseball Classic (WBC) announced on the 4th. He proudly took the position of catcher, which is only two of the 30 players in the national team.
It is his first Taegeuk mark since his professional debut. He is the oldest player in the national team, which advocated a ‘generational shift’ and harmony between a rookie and a veteran. 37 years old this year. Since Yang Eui-ji, the main catcher, is 36 years old, there is a high possibility that the two players will properly share the mask.
In particular, he entered the national team by beating all three free agents (Yoo Kang-nam, Park Dong-won, and Park Se-hyuk) who heated up this winter. These players signed free agent contracts worth 8 billion won, 6.5 billion won, and 4.6 billion won, respectively. Jang Seong-woo, who signed a 4-year, 4.2 billion won contract before them, was also surpassed. Lee Ji-young’s 3-year, 1.8 billion won free agent contract ends this year.
Ahead of the FA season, selecting the national team carries risks, but if successful, it has the effect of increasing value. Lee Ji-young, a C-class (35 years old or older), is a solid catcher who is likely to appeal even at a fairly old age.
During his Samsung days, he faithfully supported the current KIA Tigers head coach Jin Gap-yong and played an active role as a backup catcher. He pitched 696⅔ innings in 2014 and 844⅔ innings in 2015, becoming the main catcher. He is also the ‘winning catcher’ who led the team to the 2014 combined championship and the 2015 regular season championship. He played an active role as the main catcher until Kang Min-ho transferred to free agency in 2018, and then pioneered a new life at Kiwoom. Last year, as Park Dong-won was traded during the season, he digested 994⅔ innings and played a big role as the main catcher again, putting Kiwoom on the Korean Series.
Coach Lee Kang-cheol professed that “the main catcher is Yang Eui-ji,” but said, “When I watched the postseason last year, I thought that although I was old, I could move very well. As a result of many discussions with Coach Jin Gap-yong, I decided I chose Lee Ji-young,” he emphasized.토토사이트
He was also recognized by the masters who won the combined championship in 2021. A new door has opened in Lee Ji-young’s baseball life, which is full of ups and downs.