KS Game 1 starter is native ace Ko Young-pyo
"Center field hasn't been bad against LG this year"
After leading a reverse sweep in the 2023 KBO Playoffs, KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-cheol has thrown down the gauntlet to defend his crown.
KT and the regular-season champion LG Twins held a media day at Jamsil Stadium on Saturday, one day before the best-of-seven Korean Series (KS-7).
KT's Lee Kang-cheol, Park Young-hyun, and Park Kyung-soo attended the media day, while LG's Lim Chan-kyu and Oh Ji-hwan appeared alongside manager Yoon Kyung-yup.
After losing the first and second games of the playoffs against the NC Dinos, KT manager Lee Kang-cheol led the team to the Korean Series with three straight wins, and is looking for his second title in two years after winning the 2021 unified title.
"This is the first Korean Series to be held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon. We will do our best to prepare with the players and fans to reach the top spot."
Here's a one-on-one with Lee Kang-chul
-How he feels about the Korean Series.
"Being here reminds me of the pre-season media day. KT and LG were the favorites at the media day. I'm grateful to be here because we played well and lived up to the expectations. This is the first Korean Series to be held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon. We'll do our best to prepare for the best with our players and fans."
-On the starting lineup for Game 1 of the Korean Series.
"Young-pyo Ko is going out. It's Young-pyo Ko in the rotation. I was going to make a surprise announcement, but I'm going to go with the flow."
-On LG's plan for stolen bases.
"We didn't really have time to prepare for the playoffs until yesterday. We trust our catcher Jang Sung-woo's ability to stop stolen bases. Regular season and postseason are different. We're going to trust Jang Sung-woo."
-How are the players hitting, given the lack of success in the center field, and who needs to step up?
"I think the center field, including Park Byung-ho, hasn't been bad against LG this year. I'm not too worried about it. I think we've played five games in the playoffs, so we have an advantage over LG in terms of game sense. The pitchers we face are different, and we have different ideas on how to handle each hitter, so I'll trust our players."
-On what to expect from the other team and what to watch out for.
"We didn't have time to think about it after yesterday's game. LG is the No. 1 team in the regular season. They have the best batting order, and they have good baserunning. Oh Ji-hwan's defense is also very good. LG doesn't just have one or two things to be wary of. It's the whole team."
-On how he plans to use his bullpen against LG.
"In the playoffs, we thought it was a short game because it was Game 5. But the Korean Series is different because it's Game 7. We have three or four good bullpen arms, but LG has so many powerful hitters. I don't think we had much fun using our bullpen against LG in the regular season, so the role of the starter is important. We need our starters to pitch a lot of innings."
-On whether the cold weather has affected his performance.
"The weather was good until yesterday, and then it got cold. When it's cold, having a hard-throwing pitcher will give the team an advantage."
-Yeom Kyung-yeop, a junior from Gwangju First High.
"There were a lot of reasons why we wanted to go to the Korean Series, and one of them was to play on the biggest stage with Yoon Kyung-yup. We have a lot of LG players on our team, so it will be a fun matchup. I'm really happy that we can have a good fight in the Korean Series.
-LG has a manager's bonus for winning, but KT doesn't have a manager's bonus.
"We will give 11 million won (LG 10 million won) if we win."
-How to win the game.
"LG's starting lineup might look a little weak, but they have seven or eight must-win players. That's the trickiest part. Also, their hitters are very good at making contact, which is why we've struggled this year. The bottom line is to stretch out their starters and try to score a few runs against them and take the lead." 19가이드03