Kang Baek-ho (KT), who is aiming to restore honor this season, will take on a heavy role in the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Kang Baek-ho’s last season was disappointing. He suffered two major injuries and failed to show his skills properly, and ended up having his worst performance since his debut.
Due to an injury gap, he played in 62 games, less than half of the regular league (144 games), with a batting average of 0.245, 6 homers, and 29 RBIs. In the end, after the season, it was stamped at 290 million won, a cut of nearly half (47.3%) from the previous annual salary of 550 million won.
He couldn’t let his ego allow it. Kang Baek-ho, who once formed a rivalry with “genius hitter” Lee Jeong-hoo (Kiwoom) in the KBO league, was cut for the first time after his salary increased every year.
Unable to accept this, he entered into a tug-of-war with the club and went through the pain of salary negotiations. Eventually, his spring camp departure was delayed and he boarded the plane alone.
Kang Baek-ho, who left the spring camp with the words, “I will show you that salary is not everything,” prepares for this season with the determination to be ‘brave’.
First of all, aim for the WBC, which will be held in March, prior to the opening of the regular season.
Kang Baek-ho is going to the WBC, where the world’s best players compete. He first seized the golden opportunity to wash away the disappointment of the Tokyo Olympics.
Kang Baek-ho, who participated in the Tokyo Olympics two years ago wearing the Taegeuk mark, was embroiled in controversy over his attitude in the bronze medal match against the Dominican Republic. At the end of the game, which the team was losing, chewing gum was captured on the broadcast screen, and commentator Park Chan-ho, who was broadcasting the game at the time, pointed out, “You shouldn’t show this.” 슬롯사이트
Afterwards, Kang Baek-ho admitted his mistake and bowed his head. He must have properly felt the weight of the Taegeuk mark, and he challenges to restore his honor at the WBC.
In particular, Kang Baek-ho’s role and importance in the WBC national team has increased. Choi Ji-man (Pittsburgh), who was originally selected for the national team, failed to participate in the tournament due to opposition from his team.
Accordingly, the national team selected outfielder Choi Ji-hoon (SSG) as a substitute instead of first base resource. As a result, the team’s first base resources are veteran Park Byeong-ho and teammate Kang Baek-ho.
In particular, the performance of Kang Baek-ho, a left-handed hitter like Choi Ji-man, who has one-sided long hitting power, has become quite important for the national team. It is highly likely that Park Byeong-ho, who has good defense and experience, will be the starter, but Kang Baek-ho’s chances to play are expected to increase as Choi Ji-man is missing. The plate is already being laid to restore his honor.