Choi Ji-man (32, Pittsburgh)’s dream of the Taegeuk mark was again shattered. The aftermath of surgery to remove a bone fragment in his elbow, which he received after the end of his last season, made him ineligible for the World Baseball Classic (WBC). He has to put off the dream of becoming a national team player, which he has publicly revealed since the 2019 Premier 12, and focus on preparing for the regular season.
On the morning of the 6th, KBO said, “The WBC Organizing Committee has told us that Choi Ji-man cannot participate in the WBC.” The Pittsburgh Pirates expressed their objection, citing Choi Ji-man’s surgical history, and the WBCI Injury Review Committee accepted Pittsburgh’s objection. The KBO Technical Committee selected Choi Ji-hoon as a substitute for Choi Ji-man. The final entry submission is on the 8th.
Choi Ji-man started to feel elbow pain in May of last year. It was around this time that the momentum in April, when he recorded an OPS of over 1.000 with a batting average of 300, ended. In the end, after returning to Korea in November last year, he underwent surgery to remove bone fragments in his elbow. On the Pittsburgh side, it seems that Choi Ji-man, whom he has in mind as the starting first baseman, felt burdened about starting the game with all his strength from the beginning of March.
Like this, Choi Ji-man was frustrated in front of his dream again. Prior to leaving the United States on the 8th, Choi Ji-man said, “I was hungry because I had never worn the Taegeuk mark. I said I wanted to go (to the technical committee),” he said. 카지노
In fact, since Premier 12 in 2019, Choi Ji-man has consistently and openly shown his greed for the national team. He even watched the 12 Premier League matches held at the Gocheok Dome. However, the Major League Secretariat does not want Major League players like Choi Ji-man to participate in international competitions other than the WBC. Only players outside the 40-man roster can become national players with the permission of the club.
It means that as long as Choi Ji-man continues to play in the major leagues, it will not be easy to participate in the Premier 12 or the Olympics. If so, Choi Ji-man’s next opportunity is likely to be the WBC in 2026. The Major League Secretariat announced in March of last year that the WBC, which had been delayed for two years due to Corona 19, would return in 2023 and 2026.
In 2026, Choi Ji-man will be 35 years old, the eldest brother of his national team. He has to maintain his skills steadily until this time to achieve his national team dream. He also needs to stay healthy so that he doesn’t fall right before the final roster submission, just like this time.