Next-generation national team left-handed ace KIA Lee Ui-ri says, “I’m honored, but I’m still not good enough.”

Next-generation national team left-handed ace KIA Lee Ui-ri says, “I’m honored, but I’m still not good enough.”

Lee Ui-ri, the starting pitcher for Korea, is fighting in the '2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC)' game between Korea and Japan held at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the afternoon of the 17th.


Lee Ui-ri (21, KIA Tigers), who failed to make the national team last September ahead of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, regained his honor through the 2023 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) two months later.


In the preliminaries against Japan, he gave up 2 runs in 6 innings and was evaluated as having inherited the lineage of next-generation left-handed aces such as Ryu Hyun-jin (Toronto Blue Jays), Kim Gwang-hyun (SSG Landers), and Yang Hyun-jong (KIA). Lee Ui-ri said, “I am honored, but I am still lacking a lot. “He waved his hand. At the same time, we plan to spend a busier off-season than ever in order to take a leap forward.


The baseball team led by coach Ryu Joong-il took second place in the APBC, which ended on the 19th. They suffered hardships in the final stage of two consecutive competitions, but this time, they lost 3-4 after a close overtime match with Japan.


Korea played equal matches with Japan twice in this APBC based on a stable mound. Coach Ryu Joong-il also expressed satisfaction with the starting lineup that succeeded in the generational change, saying, “Moon Dong-ju, Lee Ui-ri, Won Tae-in, and Kwak Bin are the current national team starting pitchers. “Everyone threw their balls without fear,” he said.


While Moon Dong-ju, Won Tae-in, and Kwak Bin are right-handed, Lee Ui-ri is valuable because he is a left-handed pitcher. Here, Lee Ui-ri was the only one who could not accompany the Asian Games, but he left a strong impression through APBC.


Lee Ui-ri, who started the second game against Japan in the preliminary round on the 17th, threw 96 pitches in 6 innings, allowing 6 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, 3 strikeouts, and 2 runs. He lost the game due to lack of help from the batting lineup, but kept the runs to a minimum even when the bases


Ui-ri Lee said, “I was worried about whether I would be able to throw close to 100 pitches after taking a break after the regular season. Fortunately, he found his pitching balance and made a good pitch,” he said. “Usually, I lost strength while throwing the ball and found my balance, but this time, it felt like I was finding it on my own.”


Regarding the outpouring of praise, he said, “(Kim) Gwang-hyun and (Yang) Hyeon-jong went to the Japan game (in the past) because they pitched well, but I am not at that level,” and “But I threw the ball in a fun and enjoyable way.” (Next-generation left-handed ace, etc.) That kind of evaluation is also an honor. “We will continue to produce good results in the future,” he said. 카지노사이트존