LG Twins right-handed pitcher Lim Chan-kyu will join the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 national team training in place of Won Tae-in (Samsung Lions), who left due to injury.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Power Reinforcement Committee said on the 29th, “We have confirmed Lim Chan-kyu as a replacement for Won Tae-in, who has become difficult to play due to injury,” adding, “We decided that we need a substitute for the starting pitcher.”
“Lim Chan-kyu has been playing until recently. I thought about joining Lee Seung-hyun (Samsung) and Yoon Young-chul (KIA Tigers), but I chose Lim after the meeting,” Ryu Joong-il, the coach of the Korean national team, said before the national team’s training held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul on the day. “Lim Chan-kyu has been arrested since last year. I believe he will do well.”
Won Tae-in, who is tied for first in multiple wins in the regular season, was diagnosed with shoulder joint damage after allowing six runs in two ⅓ innings in Game 4 of the postseason Korean Series (KS, four wins out of seven) on the 26th.
With the addition of Lim Chan-kyu, the national team will have five starting resources, including Ko Young-pyo, Um Sang-baek (kt wiz), Kwak Bin and Choi Seung-yong (Dusan Bears), on the training call-up list.
Lim played 10-6 with a 3.83 ERA during this year’s regular season, and pitched well in the postseason with three wins and a 1.08 ERA in three games. He was also named MVP in the semi-playoff against the KT Wiz.
Based on his recent good pitching, Lim Chan-kyu will wear the national flag for the first time in six years since the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.
“As soon as Won Tae-in got hurt, I called LG manager Yeom Kyung-yeop and asked him, ‘Is it okay if I pick Lim Chan-kyu for the national team?'” Ryu said. “I also talked to Lim Chan-kyu readily accepted the offer to join the national team.” 스포츠토토
The 3rd Premier 12, which will feature the top 12 countries in the WBSC rankings, will open on the 10th of next month and play the group stage (two groups from six countries) and the Super Round (fourth round) in turn.
South Korea, which belongs to Group B, will play Taiwan on November 13, Cuba on November 14, Japan on November 15, the Dominican Republic on November 16, and Australia on November 18.
South Korea won the first competition in 2015, and finished second in the second competition in 2019.
“With Lim Chan-kyu’s addition, we will have five starting pitchers. We will discuss with the coaches how to operate the pitching staff, whether to entrust each of the five starting pitchers to a game in the preliminary round, or to assign one to the starting pitchers to the match against Taiwan or Australia, and use one of the starting pitchers as a long relief,” Ryu said.
