2024-03-17 02:30:21
International
Entered 2024.03.17 11:30 Modified 2024.03.17 11:30
Many cameras were pointed at the Los Angeles Dodgers dugout toward first base at Gocheok Sky Dome.
Many reporters eagerly waited for ‘superstar’ Shohei Ohtani (29, Dodgers). However, ahead of the warm-up match once morest the Korean Professional Baseball Kiwoom Heroes to be held at Gocheok Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul on the 17th, Ohtani did not take the field and only trained indoors.
A Dodgers official said, “Dodgers players will not practice outdoor batting today.”
Ohtani is scheduled to start as the designated hitter number 2 on this day and take two at-bats. The best active baseball star, Ohtani, can only be seen standing at Gocheok Dome in the friendly match once morest Kiwoom, which starts at noon.
Although they might not see Ohtani training, Korean baseball fans who visited Gocheok Dome early cheered as they saw other Dodgers players.
The star player who attracted the most attention was Mookie Betts, who started as the number one hitter and shortstop. Just before coming to Korea, Dodgers manager Dable Roberts announced, “The starting shortstop for the Dodgers this year is Betts.”
Originally, the Dodgers planned to form the 2024 keystone combination of second baseman Betts and shortstop Gavin Lux.
However, as Lux revealed a throwing problem, Coach Roberts made a decision. Betts played 8,121 ⅓ innings as a right fielder in his MLB career, and only 98 innings as a shortstop.
The period of time he held second base was 713 innings.
In the opening two-game series once morest the San Diego Padres to be played at Gocheok Dome on the 20th and 21st, Betts will compete with Kim Ha-seong (San Diego) for the starting shortstop.
For Betts, who is not familiar with the shortstop position, the evaluation match once morest Kiwoom is an opportunity for ‘practical training.’ Betts stayed on the field for the longest time during Dodgers training on this day and did ‘shortstop training.’
On this day, the Dodgers’ lineup consisted of Betts, Ohtani, Freddie Freeman (first baseman), Will Smith (catcher), Teoscar Hernández (left fielder), James Outman (center fielder), Jason Hayward (right fielder), and Lux (second baseman). did.
Kiwoom consists of Lim Ji-yeol (left fielder), Ronnie Dawson (center fielder), Lee Won-seok (designated hitter), Choi Joo-hwan (first baseman), Lee Hyeong-jong (right fielder), Kim Dong-heon (catcher), Ko Young-woo (second baseman), Song Seong-moon (third baseman), and Lee Jae-sang ( Shortstop) starts.
The starting pitchers are Michael Grove (Dodgers) and Ariel Jurado (Kiwoom).
The Kiwoom players, who compete once morest world-class players, said, “We will concentrate once the game starts,” but watched the Dodgers players’ training with curious expressions. Choi Joo-hwan laughed, saying, “When Ohtani reaches first base, he will greet me in Japanese by saying, ‘Congratulations on your marriage, superstar.’”
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