admin“Right now, the main man needs to play.”
KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol spoke about infielder Kang Baek-ho before the team’s game against the NC Dinos in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Changwon NC Park on March 13.
Kang Baek-ho has appeared in 63 games this year, batting .261 (207-for-54) with seven home runs, 36 RBIs and an OPS of .760. A combination of injuries kept him off the first team roster for a while, but he was recalled to the first team on May 5. Since his return, he is batting .250 (4-for-4) with one home run and four RBIs in six games.
KT’s lineup has been solid lately. Oh Yoon-seok has taken over at first base while Park Byung-ho is out with a calf injury. Kang Baek-ho hasn’t been able to pass the defense, so he hasn’t been playing as a designated hitter. He’s been on the bench a lot lately.
Lee said of Kang Baek-ho’s start, “The main player should go out now. If we want to go steady, the main player must go out. If it doesn’t work out, we have to use a substitute. (Oh) Yoon Seok-yi, I tried to take him out, but I couldn’t change him because his defense at first base is the best when we’re ahead. If you’re losing, it’s right to be aggressive. But right now, I don’t want to risk it by breaking it.”
KT is in second place in the league with a season record of 66 wins, 3 ties and 53 losses and a winning percentage of 0.555. They are 0.5 games behind third-place NC Dinos (64 wins, 2 draws, 52 losses, 0.552 winning percentage), 4 games behind fourth-place KIA Tigers (60 wins, 2 draws, 53 losses, 0.531 winning percentage), and 3 games behind fifth-place SSG Landers (62 wins, 2 draws, 55 losses, 0.530 winning percentage). It’s crucial that they don’t lose ground.
“Right now, if the main players can’t play, we have to be aggressive with our substitutes. We’re ahead, but we can’t take away the (stable) defense. That’s why I’m worried. I have to think about (Kang) Baek-ho and send him out, but there is no place for him.”
He continued, “(Baek-ho’s defense) is only when he’s being dragged down… Even in the Futures League, he only played defense in one game (on Sept. 3 against Iksan Sangsung). The player will also be under pressure,” he added.메이저사이트
Meanwhile, KT’s lineup consisted of Kim Min-hyuk (right fielder), Anthony Alford (left fielder), Hwang Jae-gyun (third baseman), Park Byung-ho (designated hitter), Bae Jeong-dae (center fielder), Jang Sung-woo (catcher), Oh Yun-seok (first baseman), Shin Bon-ki (second baseman), Kim Sang-soo (shortstop), and starting pitcher Ko Young-pyo (10-7 with a 2.99 ERA in 150⅔ innings).