“I will one day be like Se-woong’s brother…” Hotu, who
saved Korean baseball from 메이저놀이터 crisis, came as a great impression to his juniors.
South Korea won 7-3 against the Czech Republic in the first round of the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 12th and reported its first victory. South Korea, which suffered consecutive losses to Australia and Japan, was driven to the brink, but was able to overwhelm the Czech Republic with good pitching by Park Se-woong, who came out as a starting pitcher.
Park Se-woong played well with no runs in 4⅔ innings, getting only one hit and not allowing one walk. He recorded 8 strikeouts that day. He boasted excellent condition and concentration enough to continue the perfect march until the 4th episode.
Park Se-woong, who saved Korean baseball from the brink, is also a player who plays an active role as a ‘local ace’ in Lotte. Lotte’s junior pitcher, who watched Park Se-woong’s strong pitching that day, couldn’t help but be deeply impressed.
Lee Min-seok, who celebrated his second year as a pro this year, expressed his impressions of watching the ‘national team’ Park Se-woong’s good fight at the launch ceremony held by the Lotte club that day, “(Park) Se-woong threw so well that I also thought that someday I would like to throw like Se-woong. “I heard it,” he said, “I will work hard in the future and become a pitcher who can do as well as Se-woong hyung.”
Lee Min-seok is one of the best fireballers on the team. He even boasted his best 152 km fast ball during a spring camp practice game in Okinawa, Japan. Last year, he mainly played as a reliever, and this year, he is one of the pitchers that the coaching staff pays attention to as he was tested as a starter in spring camp.
Lotte, which has many young and promising pitchers, needs the growth of players who are known as ‘young guns’ like Lee Min-seok to achieve the desired results this year. Armed with a fast ball of 150 km, Lee Min-seok aims to “throw a lot of strikes” this year. If his growth becomes a reality, won’t the day come when he, like Park Se-woong, also pitches on the international stage