By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
The South Korean baseball team has run into trouble in selecting its skipper for the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Team officials were hit with another headache after Lee Seung-yeop of the Yomiuri Giants said he would quit the national team.
``I want to focus on the team for next season. With current conditioning, I think I cannot prepare for the WBC,'' Lee said Sunday after the Giants lost the Japan Series to the Seibu Lions 4-3.
The 32-year-old South Korean struggled in the championship matches, going 2-for-18 with 12 strikeouts.
``I still want to compete against Major League players representing each country at the WBC, but I did not put up good numbers for the Giants for the last two years.
``I will talk to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) when I return to Korea Tuesday."
He plans to begin training for his third season with the Tokyo-based club earlier than usual after taking a break at home.
Lee, who signed a four-year contract with the Giants in 2006 after batting .323 with 41 home runs and 108 RBIs, led the inaugural baseball world cup in 2006 with five homers and 10 RBIs, helping his country to advance to the semifinals.
He also contributed to South Korea winning a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, blasting a homer each in the semifinals and final.
With the left-swinger out of the national squad, led by Hanwha Eagles veteran manager Kim In-sik, the squad is missing two key players.
The other confirmed absentee is 15-year Major League veteran Park Chan-ho.
Park, who is looking for a team in need of a starter in the free-agent market, said on his return two weeks ago that he would not pitch at the WBC because he has to compete for a spot in the rotation in the spring camp.
However, Cleveland Indians outfielder Choo Shin-soo, who had a breakout season with 14 dingers and 66 RBIs, batting .309, and Lim Chang-yong, who had 33 saves in his first season with the Yakult Swallows in Japan, both expressed a desire to join the team.
The 16-team WBC is scheduled to start in Tokyo, Japan, on March 5. Dodger Stadium will host the final on March 23.