KT Wiz Eom Sang-baek (27) could not hide his regret that he was not selected for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) national team.
On the 29th, Eom Sang-baek left for the Arizona camp through Incheon International Airport. In an interview before his departure, he said, “I am not very excited. Still, I think it will definitely be better than last year to build my body in a warm place. The risk of injury is also low. He seems to have the advantage of being able to improve his physical condition a little faster.”
Eom Sang-baek, whose trademark is a fastball exceeding 150 km/h, had the best season last season, recording 11 wins, 2 losses, and an ERA of 2.95 in 33 games (140⅓ innings), winning the winning percentage title. “I’ll have to start the season again to know, but I think last year was the year I felt that I had to play baseball,” said Eom Sang-baek, “I prepared while thinking about last season while playing catch. He threw a little more than last year, rested well and put on some weight. He felt that his stamina was running a little late last season. So he gained weight, rested well, and built up his body well,” he said about the process of preparing for the new season.
Eom Sang-baek, who gained weight during the off-season, said, “As I gained weight, the ball felt a bit heavy. When he played catch, he felt that the ball was okay even if he didn’t throw it hard. It seems to have that effect because he gains weight while exercising,” he said, expecting a better performance this season.
Eom Sang-baek, who had to prepare thoroughly in the spring camp to continue his performance last season, said, “The most important thing is to make good use of my strengths. Then, I want to add one type of pitch. It would be nice to add sliders or curves. Since last year, the coach said that it would be really difficult for hitters to deal with with a slider. I think so too. I think I will have to go to spring camp and coordinate well with the coaches and make it once,” he explained the spring camp idea.
Eom Sang-baek, who had the best season, was unfortunately not selected for the WBC national team to be held in March. He was included in the 50-person interest list, but was not included in the 30-man final entry announced on the 4th.
Eom Sang-baek said, “It is regrettable that I was not selected for the national team. But I was pushed out of the competition. You can’t just be heartbroken. There is also the next tournament, so I think I have to work hard with the mindset that I will be selected at that time.” 안전놀이터
Eom Sang-baek, who said, “The first goal is to play full-time without getting sick,” said of his goal for this season, “I think everything will follow as long as you don’t get sick. Results come out at the end of the season. I think I will be able to achieve a grade that I can be satisfied with as long as I don’t get sick. I received too much love in 2022. I believe that we will be able to win unconditionally this year. I hope to go to the top once more this year and win first place.”