LG Kim Yun-sik, whom I met after morning training on the 3rd day of spring camp, was shy throughout the interview. He smiled shyly, lowered his head, and asked the reporter several times if he could correct the answer he had just given.

He is a 23-year-old young man who is not used to being in front of the camera yet, but on the mound he reveals a completely different side of himself. In the second half of last season, he recorded 5 wins and 2 losses with an earned run average of 2.68, emerging as the self-proclaimed next-generation ace of LG. In particular, September, which showed activity with an average ERA of 0.31 with 3 wins and no losses in 5 games, was literally amazing.

The highlight is the 3rd game of the playoffs against Kiwoom. In the starting match against KBO’s best pitcher Kiwoom Ahn Woo-jin, he pitched well with 1 run in 5.2 innings, meeting the requirements for a winning pitcher. However, after coming off the mound due to a back injury, LG suffered a reverse defeat and was eliminated in the next game as well. If ‘Healthy’ Yun-shik Kim had thrown more from the mound, the game of the series could have changed.

It is regrettable that his team, LG, failed to advance to the Korean Series, but Kim Yun-shik, who is in his 4th year as a pro, was recognized for his rapid growth and proudly made his name on the WBC national team list.

The following is a Q&A with Kim Yun-shik, whom I met at the Scottsdale Spring Camp in Arizona, USA.

Q. How do you feel about being selected for the WBC national team?
He is wearing the Taegeuk mark for the first time, and he thinks it’s an honor to play with the older brothers he only sees on TV.

Q. Who did you inform the news of your selection first?
I informed my parents first. His dad is originally a serious character, so he just told him not to get hurt.

Q. Is there a player you wanted to see on the national team?
I just wanted to see you all. I wanted to actually meet senior Kim Kwang-hyun, senior Yang Hyeon-jong, and Chang-mo hyung, whom I had known since I was little.

Q. Team senior Kim Hyun-soo is also the captain of the national team. Do you have any advice?
He was also a mentor since he was a rookie, and he always said a lot of good things and sometimes said bitter things. It was very helpful. I think I came this far thanks to senior Kim Hyun-soo.

Q. What kind of bitter remark did Hyunsoo Kim make?
He always told me to report higher, saying ‘I have to work harder, I have to do better’ without turning around.

Q. You were selected for the national team because of your great performance in the second half of this year. There is also a reaction from fans saying, ‘Is this player the player who gave up 6 walks two years ago?’
Wasn’t that news broadcasted by MBC? he’s still pissing I see comments on YouTube once in a while. Could you possibly erase it? (laugh)”

Q. Why did you change your uniform number to number 47 from this season?
My goal was to get the number of coach Lee Sang-hoon, whom I had admired since high school. When he was a rookie, he was given consideration by the club, so he wore number 57, but he had a goal of wanting to wear number 47 someday.

Q. It’s strange that you used a player of a different generation, who is almost 30 years old, as an example.
In his sophomore year of high school, he started pitching, and he mainly pitched left-handed. I saw senior Yang Hyeon-jong and senior Kim Gwang-hyun토토사이트, but I think I was most impressed by coach Lee Sang-hoon. I was impressed on YouTube that he is a player with a lot of fighting spirit and a story.

Q. The content of the visit to coach Lee Sang-hoon was a hot topic.
I visited Coach Lee Sang-hoon whenever baseball wasn’t good. He received counseling and daily coaching, and he gave good answers each time. Then, in the second half of last year, an opportunity came to visit me, and I suddenly remembered the number 47, so I asked, ‘Can I wear the number next year?’ I told the captain about it, and he allowed me to wear number 47.

Q. Then, did you usually like the number 47?
In his third year of high school, his uniform number was 47. From then on, the password for the carrier lock was also designated as ‘047’.

Q. Since Lee Sang-hoon, there aren’t many players who have shown outstanding performance in number 47.
I don’t think it’s a big burden, but I think I’m motivated to do better. I think I should do it with the thought of going with coach Lee Sang-hoon, not just my uniform number. I don’t know if I’ll be as good as coach Lee Sang-hoon, but I think I need to do better to surpass that.

Q. Is your uniform number 47 in the WBC national team?
I wore number 57. Number 47 is the uniform number of senior Na Seong-beom, who is also a high school senior.

Q. Did coach Lee Kang-cheol say anything on the day of the preliminary call-up?
He asked me to build up my body quickly, and he complimented me on how my changeup improved a lot.

Q. Is your adaptation to the WBC official ball going well?
After receiving 4 official balls, I received about 3 more after the preliminary call-up day. In order to adapt quickly, I adapted by constantly touching the ball while running or whenever I had a chance. It’s very slippery without rosin, but it’s fine once rosin is applied. It was uncomfortable at first because there was no grip, but now I’m used to it.

Q. How is the grip different from the KBO official ball?
The grip itself protrudes from the KBO official ball, but the WBC ball doesn’t seem to have much grip.

Q. What role would you like to take on at WBC?
Rather than wanting to play against any country, my goal is to achieve good results in a given situation.”