(Premier12) S. Korean manager rues silent bats as repeat bid falls short

All News 23:24 November 17, 2019

By Yoo Jee-ho

TOKYO, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korean skipper Kim Kyung-moon said it was "all my fault as the manager" that his team lost to Japan in the final of the Premier12 baseball tournament on Sunday.

But at least Kim didn't step into the batter's box and go 0-for-4, like his cleanup hitter, Park Byung-ho.

It was the lack of production from the heart of the lineup that proved to be South Korea's undoing, as the team fell to Japan 5-3. South Korea was going for its second straight title at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) tournament, but frittered away its 3-0 first-inning lead.

South Korean manager Kim Kyung-moon heads back to the dugout after making a pitching change against Japan during the bottom of the eighth inning in the final of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12 at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on Nov. 17, 2019. (Yonhap)

"Nobody likes finishing second," Kim said at his post-game press conference. "But our players put in so much hard work over the past month or so. And it's all my fault as the manager that we lost. There's no other reason."

When asked about his biggest regret, Kim said he'd have liked to have seen more from his big bats, like Park and Yang Eui-ji.

Park, who led the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) this year with 33 home runs, didn't hit any in eight games at the Premier12, while batting only .179 (5-for-28).

Yang, the KBO batting champion who hit .354, posted the worst batting average on the national team here at .087 (2-for-23).

That Yang struck out swinging for the final out of the competition was oddly fitting.

"Our sluggers never came around, and that just goes to show you baseball is not an easy game to play," Kim said. "I think they put too much pressure on themselves and they couldn't overcome that burden."

The Premier12 also served as an Olympic qualifying tournament and South Korea earned its spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics by finishing as the top Asian/Oceanian country, other than Japan, which will have an automatic place in the Summer Games as the host.

Kim said he'll try to use Sunday's loss to Japan as motivation for next summer.

"We'll try to put this disappointment behind us and get ready for the battle next summer (during the Olympics)," he said. "I'll keep my eyes out on players who could be added to the national team for the Olympics."