(Premier12) S. Korean manager not yet ready to heap praise on young outfielder
By Yoo Jee-ho
CHIBA, Japan, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korean outfielder Lee Jung-hoo is leading the ongoing Olympic baseball qualifying tournament in Japan in batting average and other offensive categories, helping his team to a four-game winning streak.
But his manager, Kim Kyung-moon, isn't yet prepared to sing Lee's praises.
"There's still a lot of baseball left to play, and I don't think I should be patting him on the back now," Kim said in his pre-game session with the press at ZOZO Marine Stadium in Chiba, east of Tokyo, before the Super Round game against Chinese Taipei at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 Tuesday.
"I can do plenty (praising) after the tournament is over," Kim added. "And if I start saying good things about him now, he may stop hitting. So I don't want to jinx anything."
Inserted into the No.-3 spot in the national team batting order at age 21, Lee, a third-year pro in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), has been putting on a hitting clinic. He's slashing .538/.647/.923 with a tournament-best five doubles in four games.
But as Kim noted, there is much baseball left. South Korea will take on Chinese Taipei later Tuesday, and after two days off, Mexico and Japan will be up on Friday and Saturday, both at Tokyo Dome.
Once the Super Round standings are set after four games per team, the top two will clash in the final, while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will meet in the third-place game. Both games are scheduled for Sunday at Tokyo Dome.
The Premier12 is also an Olympic qualifying tournament for Asia/Oceania and American countries. South Korea must fend off Chinese Taipei and Australia for the lone spot out of Asia/Oceania -- Japan is already in the Olympics as the host country next year -- while Mexico and the United States are battling for one American spot at stake here.
A win on Tuesday will move South Korea to the verge of qualifying, and manager Kim said his team will go as far as the starter Kim Kwang-hyun takes it.
"He's a veteran and he knows how to handle himself in these situations," the skipper said. "As long as he doesn't try to do too much, he should be fine."
In his latest start, Kim held Canada to just one hit over six shutout innings in Group C action last Thursday.
jeeho@yna.co.kr
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