The keyword for spring camp is veteran rest and motivation for promising players
Coach Lee Sung-yong, who will take his first season at the SSG this year, started as a starter at the spring camp in Vero Beach, Florida, through Incheon International Airport on the 25th.
“I’m very excited. I have high expectations,” Lee said with a smile. “I didn’t have enough time to check players closely because I was hired as a manager late. I think I need to check the starting pitchers, bullpen pitchers, second basemen, first basemen and catchers closely.”
SSG has made many changes this season. Through the second draft, veteran outfielder Kim Kang-min and infielder Choi Joo-hwan moved to Hanwha and Kiwoom, respectively, and hired FA catcher Lee Ji-young through sign-and-trade. He successfully renewed his contract with Kim Min-sik, who was the starting catcher last year, and acquired catcher Park Dae-on and new Bum-soo through the second draft, which increased his resources.
“I am very grateful to the front desk when it comes to reinforcing my catcher,” Lee said. “When I took the helm of SSG, I was worried about the catcher the most. He filled that part perfectly. That’s why I now have more homework to do. If Lee Ji-young and Kim Min-sik, who have won the title, give them support and Cho Hyung-woo moves forward, they will become stronger. There are also Park Dae-on and Shin Bum-soo. I think I need to discuss with battery and pitching coaches a lot,” Lee said.
While foreign pitchers Roenis Elias, Robert Duggar, and Kim Kwang-hyun will be confirmed as starters, Oh Won-seok, Park Jong-hoon, Song Young-jin, and Moon Seung-won will compete in the remaining two spots. “I checked last year and found that Elias pitched too many pitches when he participated in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). I believe that he is highly competitive this season if he takes a break. When I watched the video with the coaching staff, I really liked him, Duggar said. He is aggressive, has fast tempo and has a variety of pitches. I think both pitchers are competitive. And up to Kim Kwang-hyun, we can say that he is confirmed to the starting lineup,” manager Lee Soo-yong said.
“I think Oh Won-seok has the upper hand in the competition, but I think he should compete in the same way,” said Lee Soo-yong, who emphasized competition. “I think Park Jong-hoon, Song Young-jin and Moon Seung-won should compete in the fourth to sixth starting positions. If pitchers come to the team, I will consider starting the sixth starting position.”
SSG did not include any new players in the upcoming spring camp for the Futures League. In 2024, new players will prepare for this season at the Taiwan B team camp. “New players discussed a lot with the front desk. Consequently, the decision was made to bring new players to the U.S. As we are going to Taiwan for the second camp after the first camp, we can check and call them the first team camp if necessary. I want to motivate them in that regard,” Lee said.
Choo, the oldest player in his team, announced his retirement at the end of this year. In addition to Choo, the SSG has a number of veteran players, including Ko Hyo-joon, Noh Kyung-eun, and Kim Kwang-hyun. “As I become a coach, I called Choo Shin-soo first and told him that I want him to continue his career together,” Lee said. “I want him to lead my juniors well as captain.” “I think (Choo) Shin-soo is more important than the coach in SSG right now,” he said, and decided to stay for another year. I had dinner with Choo, Kim Kwang-hyun, and the head coach, and I think I spent about four to five hours together. It was a lot of fun and I also formed a consensus that I want to create a team culture together. As I intend to respect the opinions of the players, I asked the players to keep the first one-team and second professional consciousness. I talked about veteran players’ roles by giving them a lot of authority and motivating young players so that they can enjoy and play baseball without hesitation.”
The SSG plans to provide many opportunities for young players this season. “I’ve been a player until I was 41, but managing my physical strength and giving me some rest will be of great help to me in 144 games,” said Lee, who stressed that players’ motivation is key to this year’s camp. “I don’t intend to artificially rest. I always try to match the direction that the players want by having conversations and communicating with them. I think these players deserve that level of respect.” 토토사이트