Previously, if amateur players watched TV and thought, “I wish I could appear on TV like that senior,” now, for some players, that dream may have already come true.
This is because ‘Monsters’, made up of retired players from the program ‘The Strongest Baseball’, have been visiting Deoksu High School, Chungam High School, Dong-eui University, Bukil High School, Gyeongnam High School, and Inha University since last year to compete. Players who did not give up even against retired players and made a mark early on were nominated as pros in the September rookie draft and became their juniors.
Among them, Chungam High School pitcher Yoon Young-chul was nominated by the KIA as the second overall pick in the first round, and catcher Kim Dong-heon was nominated by the Kiwoom Heroes in the second round. At Bukil High School, pitcher Junho Choi, who was nominated by the Doosan Bears in the first round, and Hyunbin Moon, infielder, who was nominated by the Hanwha Eagles in the second round, stood out.
There are also Hanwha 1st round 1st overall pitcher Kim Seo-hyun, Lotte Giants 1st round outfielder Kim Min-seok, and kt Wiz 1st round pitcher Kim Jeong-woon, who came out as the U-18 national team. Dankook University infielder Ryu Hyeon-in, who played for the same monsters as the retired players, was nominated for kt in the 7th round and had a tearful farewell with the cast and crew.
Active players also watched their juniors in advance through the program. On the 29th, kt veteran Park Kyung-soo said, “I saw Hyun-in Ryu in advance on video” before leaving for spring camp on the 29th, and said, “He played baseball beautifully.
Hanwha infielder Oh Seon-jin praised Moon Hyun-bin’s defense, saying, “I watched ‘The Strongest Baseball’ and it was so good that I wondered if my high school skills were right.” Hearing that Seonjin Oh rated her highly, Hyeonbin Moon was taken aback and asked, “Are you for real?” 메이저사이트
Moon Hyun-bin said, “I feel a lot that my name is known while reading articles. But I don’t feel pressured. I have a lot of thoughts to show it. Rather, I think I have more goals. I think I will be able to have a good experience at spring camp, so I think it will be very helpful. I will do my best to show you sprinting anywhere and doing my best until the end.”
Ryu Hyun-in, who I met at the baseball night at the end of last year, also said, “I was grateful that many fans supported me. That made baseball more fun and I wanted to work hard. He expressed his aspirations, saying, “I want to go up to the first team as soon as possible and see coach Lee Seung-yeop again.”
Having already created a lot of fans is a good thing for professional players, but on the other hand, being in the spotlight can come as a pressure. Confident rookies who say that fortunately, they are not a burden but have a greater motivation. Attention is focusing on whether they will be able to draw a happy smile on the faces of retired players who stood out in this year’s KBO League and competed head-to-head.