From best friends to brother-in-law and father-in-law, LG’s Go Woo-seok and Kiwoom’s Lee Jung-hoo almost wore the same jersey for the Hangzhou Asian Games team, but the latter had to pull out due to a left ankle injury.
During an official interview at the Shaoxing Baseball Stadium in Zhejiang, China, on Sept. 30 (KST), Go Woo-seok was asked by reporters what kind of conversation he had with Lee Jeong-hoo, and he said, “Before he left, I asked him if he felt his absence, and he said he didn’t. I was afraid that he was too concerned. He asked me to stay healthy and do well, so I told him I would come back with a good performance.”
After missing out on the Tokyo Olympics and the 2023 World Baseball Classic due to poor performances and injuries, Go Woo-seok will be especially motivated for this tournament.
“I think I’m always motivated every time I put on the national team uniform. It’s partly because I couldn’t throw at the last tournament due to injury, and I want to do my best this time without getting sick,” he said.
“It’s true that I haven’t performed well in international competitions, so I always feel sorry for myself. I feel the same way as the national team coach. It’s very tempting to feel sorry for yourself after a bad performance, but I’m trying to restrain myself from being greedy.”
The height of the mound at Shaoxing Baseball Stadium is said to be higher than that of the KBO. In response, Go Woo-seok said, “It’s a lot higher, but each ballpark has its own characteristics of the mound, so you just have to think about it and throw. You can definitely feel it (the height) when you’re practicing defense under the mound, and it looks high even from the outside.”
Unlike other national teams, the team is made up of players his age, so the atmosphere is good. “It’s noisy. I feel comfortable among the players, and I think it’s because there are many players my age.”
When it comes to adjusting to the official ball, he said, “It’s similar to the Korean ball, so I don’t think there’s much difference. Personally, I’m glad I’m not sensitive to the ball.” 메이저사이트
Go Woo-seok’s club, LG, is on the verge of securing the top spot in the regular season. As a firefighter, it would be a shame not to be able to share in the joy. “I was disappointed before I put on the (national team) uniform, but I’ve already put on another uniform, so I’m going to bury my disappointment. But I can’t help but watch the games,” he laughed.