In the end, “Jamsil Big Boy” Lee Jae-won did not make the Korean Series roster, and rookie sidearm Park Myung-geun was a last-minute addition.

The KBO announced the rosters for the 2023 Korean Series (best-of-seven, best-of-four) between LG and KT on Saturday afternoon. LG and KT will play Game 1 of the Korean Series on April 7 at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.

LG, which is looking to win its first Korean Series title in 29 years (since 1994), has fielded 14 pitchers and 16 outfielders.토토사이트

The pitchers include Casey Kelly, who was named the Game 1 starter, as well as Im Chan-kyu, Ham Deok-ju, Choi Dong-hwan, Jung Woo-young, Ko Woo-seok, Son Ju-young, Son Jeong-yong, Lee Jung-yong, Lee Woo-chan, Kim Jin-sung, Kim Yun-sik, Choi Won-tae, Yoo Young-chan, and Baek Seung-hyun, while the catchers include Park Dong-won, Heo Do-hwan, and Kim Bum-seok.

Austin, Moon Bo-kyung, Shin Min-jae, Jeong Ju-hyun, Oh Ji-hwan, Kim Min-sung, and Son Ho-young were the infielders, and Moon Sung-joo, Ahn Ik-hoon, Park Hae-min, Kim Hyun-soo, Hong Chang-ki, and Choi Seung-min were the outfielders.

It’s interesting to note that two spots were changed from the roster that Yeom Kyung-yup mentioned in the middle of the training camp. Outfield prospect Lee Jae-won and rookie sidearm Park Myung-geun were left out, while center fielder Son Ho-young and left-hander Lee Woo-chan were included.

At the end of the training camp, Lee Jae-won’s position became unsettled. Head coach Yeom Kyung-yup hinted at a roster change before the final blue-and-white game at Jamsil Stadium on April 4. Yi said, “We will decide on Lee Jae-won’s entry tomorrow (May 5). The coaches recommend Son Ho-young,” he said.

The plan was to include Lee Jae-won in the 30-man roster, but during the coaching staff meeting, it was suggested that the team needed one more runner and one more defender. Son Ho-young, who can play both defense and center field, was recommended, which would have meant leaving out Lee Jae-won as a right-handed hitter. In the end, Yeom agreed with the coaching staff and added Son Ho-young to the roster instead of Lee Jae-won.

Lee Jae-won was set to enlist in the military in December last year, but when Yeom took over as LG’s new head coach, Lee postponed his enlistment. Yeom wanted to develop the long-hitting Lee as a future No. 4 hitter and use him as a first baseman this season.

Since joining the organization in 2018, Lee has twice won the Futures League home run title. He played in 85 games last year, batting .453 with two doubles, four triples, 13 home runs and an on-base percentage of .453. Yeom compared Lee to his former Nexen teammate, home run king Park Byung-ho (KT), and put Lee’s military enlistment on hold.

However, Lee suffered a series of injuries in spring training, exhibition games, and the regular season (May), which disrupted his hitting balance. He appeared in just 56 games this season, batting just 2-for-1 with eight doubles, four home runs, 18 RBIs, and a .373 on-base percentage. His hitting wasn’t much better in the exhibition games leading up to the Korean Series. As a result, he did not play in the Korean Series.

The high school rookie appeared in 57 games this year, posting a 4-3 record with five saves and a 5.08 ERA in nine appearances. He had a good first half, especially with his quick motion in the 1.1s. His fastball has a lot of power. In the first half of the year, he appeared in 36 games, going 4-0 with 5 saves and a 3.25 ERA. However, he was sidelined with an injury at the end of the first half, and although he was named to the All-Star team in his rookie year, he missed time due to injury.

He struggled in the second half, going 3-3 with a 9.39 ERA in 21 appearances. Since September, he has a 9.58 ERA in 15 games. He also pitched poorly against the Blue and White during training camp. In the end, of the four new pitchers in the regular season, unlike Ham Deok-joo, Baek Seung-chan, and Yoo Young-chan, Park Myung-geun was left off the roster.

Instead, left-hander Lee Woo-chan was included in the roster without Park. Lee is expected to be used in the bullpen against KT’s left-handed hitters. KT’s batting order includes Kim Soo-ho, Kim Min-hyuk, Lee Ho-yeon, and Kim Jun-tae. Kim Min-hyuk, Lee Ho-yeon, and Kim Jun-tae are left-handed hitters.

Kim hit a game-tying double with runners on first and third in the fifth inning of Game 5 of the playoffs. Lee Ho-yeon also pinch-hit in the playoffs and had an occasional hit.