유지호
| 2020-11-16 16:02:10
Korean Series-players
Veteran catcher, ex-understudy set to compete for S. Korean baseball title
By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Nov. 16 (Yonhap) -- As the South Korean baseball postseason progressed this month, NC Dinos' catcher Yang Eui-ji grew more excited by the day.
The Dinos advanced straight to the Korean Series, by virtue of winning the regular season title in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). They were waiting to see whom they would face, and Yang's former team, the Doosan Bears, were marching toward their sixth straight Korean Series.
They won two postseason rounds to set up a date with the Dinos. Starting Tuesday, Yang will be going up against the team that he backstopped to the championship in 2015 and 2016.
"I thought it was going to be so much fun to be playing in big games against my former team," Yang said Monday at the Korean Series media day at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "I couldn't wait to face them."
Yang was voted the Korean Series MVP in 2016, when the Bears swept the Dinos in four straight games. And before the 2019 season, Yang joined the Dinos as a free agent.
His longtime backup, Park Sei-hyok, stepped into the starting catching job. And the Bears won the 2019 Korean Series in Park's first season as the starting catcher. He batted 5-for-12 with four RBIs to help the Bears sweep the Kiwoom Heroes, and received series MVP considerations.
"I learned so much from Eui-ji when we were teammates," Park said. "Now that we're going to be opponents, I am looking forward to a good battle."
Yang, widely considered the KBO's most complete catcher, had a tremendous season at the plate, setting career highs with 33 home runs, 124 RBIs and a .603 slugging percentage at age 33. The RBI total is a new single season record for a catcher.
"When I signed with the Dinos (in 2018), I figured this would become a great team soon, and in just my second season, we've come this far," Yang said. "I am ready to enjoy the Korean Series."
Doosan manager Kim Tae-hyoung chimed in and said, "I know the kind of player Eui-ji is, and he'll do his absolute best. I just hope he takes it a bit easy on us for old times' sake."
Park said the Bears' pitchers are in great form because they haven't been run into the ground during the earlier rounds.
"It's always fun to arrive in the Korean Series after winning a few ball games," Park added.
Yang and Park shared their fun in winning the 2016 Korean Series over the Dinos. It wasn't the case for the Dinos' second baseman Park Min-woo, whose team scored a grand total of two runs in four losses then.
Now 27, he said he isn't just older but wiser. He hopes that's the case for the rest of the team, too.
"Four years ago, we barely put up a fight, and now we have a chance to take revenge," Park said. "We learned so much from that Korean Series, and we're ready to put those lessons into practice and make sure we don't end up with the same results."
Doosan closer Lee Young-ha predicted this year's Korean Series will go longer than four years ago. The starter-turned-closer said he wants to do his part in his new role.
"When I was a starter, my mindset was it'd be OK to give up a run here and there because I'd pitch a lot of innings," Lee said. "Now, I am going out there trying not to allow any run. It's more exciting and fun that way."
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