“Let’s not see each other early”
Lotte Giants pitcher Na Seung-yeop had the best year this year. Since his debut as a pro baseball scout, Na has displayed impressive batting skills in 121 games since his return from military service at Sangmu, and displayed impressive performance with 127 hits, seven homers, 66 RBIs, 59 runs batted in with 0.312 OPS of 0.80. Manager Kim Tae-hyung also praised Na when asked about him.
As a result, Na Seung-yeop will have the pleasure of joining the preliminary list of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier 12 national team in November, and is sweating day after day at Gocheok Sky Dome toward the second national flag since last year’s Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC). Currently, the national team has a lot of resources on the first and third bases. Therefore, it is unclear whether Na Seung-yeop can be provided with a spot, but manager Ryu Joong-il’s evaluation so far is very good.
Na Seung-yeop, who is vying to join the national team once again following last year’s APBC, had an interview with reporters on Wednesday. Will the second national flag feel different from the regular season? “It’s a new atmosphere different from the regular season. I think we have a lot of fun and learn from the players who are so good,” he said with a big smile. “I was very nervous last year because I joined the national team right after I was discharged from the military, but now I find this situation more interesting than nervousness.”
I was awkward at first, but through a dinner meeting a few days ago, I got closer to each other. “I was a bit awkward, but I got closer with other players,” Na said. “All the players in the national team are good at batting and just admiring them. Everyone moves well and throws are good. In particular, (Moon) Bo-kyung’s ball is the best, and the easiest thing to catch is (Park) Sung-han. The ball flies really beautifully.” 스포츠토토
Na has learned and grown a lot through this season. As a result, he was invited to join the national team once again after spending his career-high season. He is aiming for step-ups once again. He said, “I felt that I couldn’t do anything alone during the regular season. So I felt once again that I had coaches and coaches. When things are bad, I need someone to help me out to escape quickly. I realized that if I close my ears and do it alone, I will go down further. That’s why I listened carefully to all the feedback this year.”
In the case of Na Seung-yeop, he still lacks the power to send a ball out of the fence, but his long-shot productivity was good enough to rank fifth in the league in the double category this year. And his sophisticated contact ability from soft swings is also an advantage. The only regret when narrowing the scope to the national team is that he is only the first baseman, but he is a player who is well worth using as a substitute resource in a clutch situation. In particular, the fact that the national team has only professional first baseman Na Seung-yeop can be an advantage in terms of defense.
Na Seung-yeop said, “Coach Kim Tae-hyung told me, ‘Let’s not see each other early’ when I was going to the national team. If you fall, get ready to join the (finishing camp). Brace yourself and do it,'” he said, expressing his greed, saying, “Coaches cheered me on a lot, half jokingly. If I join the national team, I think the coaches and coaches will be even more proud. That’s why I want to join the team more.”
Then, what are your chances of joining the national team? “I really don’t know. I joined the team after a short break after the end of the season, so I don’t have any major problems with my condition. I am training, but I am well maintained in my senses and body. I think I will be able to maintain it if I don’t go home soon,” Na said. “I don’t have a professional first baseman, but I have many resources to see him at first base. I am also continuously practicing at first base, but I am doing my best to play more.”
In order to join the national team, he must prove his goal in an exhibition match against Cuba on the 1st and 2nd of next month. Na Seung-yeop is also aware of this. He said, “I want to do well. But I don’t think I should overreact. If we keep calm as we have prepared so far, there will be good results. And despite the fact that Korean baseball has received a lot of love this year and is an exhibition match, I think many fans are coming to see us. I want to show good performance by riding the upward trajectory.”
