Kang Baek-ho (KT) has been recognized for his natural ability and skills to the point where he is called a ‘baseball genius.’ He played for the adult national team three times, including the 2019 Premier 12, the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2023 WBC, and was recognized as an international hitter with a career batting average of .306, 2 ri (17 hits in 47 at-bats), 9 RBIs, and 6 runs.
However, Kang Baek-ho was at the center of controversy outside of the game. In the bronze medal game against the Dominican Republic at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, in the top of the 8th inning, down 6-10, with 2 outs and runners on first base, he was caught on the broadcast screen dazed and chewing gum in the dugout. The national team, which had aimed to repeat the glory of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, returned empty-handed. Criticism poured in on Kang Baek-ho, who caused the chewing gum controversy.메이저사이트
He tried to escape the scarlet letter of the chewing gum controversy for a while, but found himself at the center of controversy again. On March 9, in the first round of the WBC finals against Australia, Kang Baek-ho created an absurd situation in which he was tagged out while celebrating after hitting a double with one out and no runners on base in the 7th inning when he stepped off the base.
Now wearing his fourth Taegeuk mark since his professional debut, he is determined to wash away the regrets of the past and be at the center of winning the gold medal in Hangzhou.
The Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team selected KBO league players under the age of 25 or in their fourth year of joining the team with the intention of actively nurturing players who will become the main players of the national team in international competitions in the coming years, and will be selected as a wild card. Three players under age 3 were selected.
In an official interview held at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport on the 28th, Kang Baek-ho said, “This is the first time I am no longer the youngest member of the national team, and it is good to be with close seniors and juniors. He expressed his hope that the young players are full of spirit and have prepared well to show that they will be players representing Korea in the future, so please watch.”
He also said, “I learned a lot of good things from my seniors while wearing the Taegeuk mark three times. Because not only I but also captain (Kim) Hye-seong and other dependable brothers are there, we will be able to show good results with young players. Our players have a solid team, so I hope you have high expectations. “We will show you that we will enjoy it and do our best as much as many fans expect,” he added.
Kang Baek-ho, who showed off his instincts as a problem solver with a batting average of .357 (10 hits in 28 at-bats), 2 home runs, and 7 RBIs in the last 10 games before joining the national team, expressed confidence, saying, “I’m in good shape right now.”
Can Kang Baek-ho, who has been called an undesirable issue maker wearing the Taegeuk symbol, become the hero who led the team to victory in Hangzhou, the ‘promised land’?
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