By Kang Seung-woo
Overseas players including Cleveland Indians’ Choo Shin-soo, Lee Dae-ho of Japan’s Orix Buffaloes and potential Los Angeles Dodger Ryu Hyun-jin headline the provisional roster for the 2013 World Baseball Classic (WBC), Monday.
But it still remains to be seen if those players will join the squad due to club issues.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has named 28 tentative players — 13 pitchers, two catchers, eight outfielders and five infielders — for the international tournament, scheduled for March next year. The deadline for the submission is Nov. 30.
Outfielder Choo had a solid 2012 season for the Indians, which finished second to last in the American League Central division, recording 16 homers and 67 RBIs with a batting average of .283.
The 30-year-old contributed to his country reaching the final of the 2009 WBC, blasting a three-run homer against Venezuela and also had a solo shot in the final against Japan.
Left-handed fastballer Ryu went 9-9 for the bottom-placed Hanwha Eagles this past season with a 2.66 ERA and also provided strong performances at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the 2009 WBC.
Amid high expectations for the two players at next year’s tournament, Choo said last month that he needs to discuss his participation with the Indians.
He added that the club recently hired Terry Francona as their new manager and he may want to keep him for the spring training, which conflicts with the WBC schedule.
On Saturday, the Dodgers posted a winning bid of $25.7 million to exclusively negotiate with Ryu and should he don Dodger blue, he is also likely to skip the competition to focus on his debut season in Major League Baseball (MLB).
“Depending on the participation of MLB players and possible injuries, the roster can be reshuffled, so I call the entry provisional, not final,” said team manager Ryu Joong-il, who led the Samsung Lions to the Korean Series champions for a second-straight season this year.
“In terms of pitching, whether Ryu will throw in the WBC really matters.”
There is a silver lining that slugging first baseman Lee can play for the Korean team, which finished third in the 2006 tournament and second in 2009.
Lee, 30, led the Pacific League in RBIs with 91, while posting 24 home runs and batting .286 in his first season in Japan.
Along with Lee, the Lions’ Lee Seung-yeop and the Eagles’ Kim Tae-kyun were selected as first basemen — the most star-studded position on the team — over regular-season MVP Park Byung-ho of the Nexen Heroes.
Others on the roster include Kia Tigers right-handed pitcher and last year’s KBO MVP Yoon Suk-min, Lions closer Oh Seung-hwan, the KBO’s all-time saves leader and Lotte Giants reliever Chong Tae-hyon, who nearly reached a deal with the Baltimore Orioles ahead of this past season.
Korea will begin its campaign in Group B with the Netherlands, Australia and an as yet undecided nation at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in Taiwan on March 2.