Eui-ri Lee, left-handed pitcher for the KIA Tigers, is the future and present of the KBO left-hander.
Lee Eui-ri, who joined KIA as the first pick in 2021, was named among the 24 entries for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics right in his debut season. Lee Eui-ri was also included in the 30-man 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and was called by coach Lee Kang-cheol following coach Kim Gyeong-moon.
Lee Eui-ri appeared in 29 games last year and recorded 10 wins, 10 losses, 154 innings, 161 strikeouts, and an earned run average of 3.86, achieving regulation innings and 10 wins in his second year. Even veterans are surprised by the management of the game, which sharply inserts change-ups and sliders on a fast ball with an average speed of over 145 km.
Lee Eui-ri met with the reporters before joining the national team and rather than being excited about being on the토토사이트 national team for the second time, he expressed a sense of responsibility, saying, “Then and now, the national team is always an honorable position, and as much as they believed in me and selected me, I feel a burden.”
Regarding being selected for the national team twice and being recognized as a ‘national left-hander’ both in name and reality, he said, “I didn’t think that much. “To the extent that there is,” he replied cautiously.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Lee Ui-ri took on the role of starting the semi-finals and showed competitiveness in the international competition by recording 5 innings, 1 home run, 9 strikeouts, 2 walks and 2 runs against the United States. However, the Korean national team failed to advance to the final as they lost 2-7 with 5 runs after Eui-ri Lee was replaced. In the bronze medal match, they lost to the Dominican Republic 6-10 and finished in 4th place.
Lee Eui-ri, who kept the dugout as the youngest at the time, felt the weight of the national team while watching the older brothers regret their defeat. It is known that many players, including captain Kim Hyun-soo, shed tears in the clubhouse. Lee Eui-ri said, “I felt a lot of responsibility and pressure while watching the expressions and actions of the seniors during the game. I learned that there is no next time.”
Lee Eui-ri took the mound as the 6th pitcher in the 6th inning in an evaluation match between the NC Dinos and the national team on the 17th, recording 1 inning, 1 strikeout, 1 walk and no runs. The number of pitches was 19. After one out, Kwon Jung-woong was sent out for a walk, but Yoon Hyung-joon was left fielder and Choi Bo-seong struck out on a swing. In order to fill the pre-game planned number of pitches (20), he faced a total of 5 batters, including Seo Ho-cheol (3rd baseman straight hit). .
Lee Eui-ri plans to prepare for the WBC and third-year season by gradually increasing the number of pitches starting with this game. Yang Hyeon-jong said to Lee Ui-ri, who boarded the national team together, “I think Lee Eui-ri is excited and wants to do well. I hope he doesn’t overdo it. It’s a big loss,” he advised.