In a situation where key forces are leaving, what kind of ideas are the commanders of the 'candidates for the championship'? Now the real second half begins. The 10 KBO League clubs having an All-Star break will go through the reorganization time and start the second half race from the 21st. The point at which the pennant has already passed the turning point. In the second half, the point comes when all coaches have to speed up in earnest, which is considered a 'winner'.
The championship competition is unfolding as a two-way match between the LG Twins and SSG Landers. Recently, SSG has slowed down a bit, and the gap has narrowed somewhat as the Doosan Bears won 9 straight wins and climbed to 3rd place, but it is still not a gap that can be caught up in a short period of time. As of the first half, LG is in first place, 2.5 games ahead of SSG in second place, and SSG in second place is four games ahead of Doosan in third place. Although it cannot be guaranteed yet, the most overwhelming prediction is that the two teams' competition for championship will continue to the end.
The biggest variable at the end of the championship competition is the Asian Games. 안전놀이터 The Asian Games, which will be held in Hangzhou, China, will open on September 23 and end on October 8. The baseball team led by manager Ryu Joong-il will also be convened in mid-September, just before the opening. Fortunately, they are convened at the height of the season, so there is no worry about the sense of the game, and after training at the level of matching hands and feet, you can enter the full-fledged competition schedule.
However, it is a concern for the team. In the future, during the Asian Games, the KBO League has decided not to take a break. It is a special countermeasure that came about as the weakening competitiveness of international competitions was on the cutting board. However, in a situation where key players are missing, the affiliated team has to fight for rankings at the end of the regular season. In particular, the two teams that have to compete for the championship this year are missing key resources. This is because the Asian Games have made an entry with young players in their 20s, but the key players of the two teams are applicable.
In the case of LG, pitchers Go Woo-seok and Jung Woo-young, and infielder Moon Bo-kyung were selected. SSG selected infielder Park Seong-han and outfielder Choi Ji-hoon. LG is missing two bullpen Pil Seung-jo and the third baseman, who is performing well in the other line. In SSG, the main shortstop and center fielder, who are in charge of the core of the air defense, are selected.
Both teams started preparing for the gap early. LG coach Yeom Gyeong-yeop said, "It's each other's luck. It's important who prepares better and who prepares better. It's not just us, but also other teams, that key players are missing. Even if players are missing, we've been preparing." did. SSG coach Kim Won-hyung said, "I've been thinking about replacement players to some extent. The main players are missing, but isn't the same for the opposing team? I think the rest of the players can do well enough."
In the case of LG, since the bullpen resources, including Park Myung-geun, are so solid, if only the 4th and 5th starting positions become clearer, the burden on the bullpen will be reduced, and the infield can also minimize the gap by entrusting the role to multi-players. In SSG, infield backups, including veteran Kim Seong-hyun, are filling their positions better than expected, and outfielders, including Kim Kang-min and Choo Shin-soo, are expected to fill the vacant position to some extent if veterans distribute their stamina and hold the center.
It was in early October when SSG confirmed last year's regular season championship. Even though he played relatively solo, the victory was confirmed only at the end. Since a more intense race is expected this year, the Asian Games selection has no choice but to have a big impact. Now is the time to bet on the real game. What kind of effect will the two teams' preparations for the Asian Games bring? It could be the climax of the pennant race.
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