“I think it’s more about the atmosphere than anything else.”
He was selected to represent Korea at the 2017 Asian Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), where he earned a spot on the international roster with a 1.42 ERA in 12⅔ innings over seven appearances.
Park was named as a wild card in the age-restricted squad. Park was the senior member of the pitching staff and will serve as the pitching coach.
“I’m happy to be on the national team,” Park said ahead of the team’s practice game against the Commerce Baseball Team at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Saturday. As the oldest brother, I will lead my younger brother well so that we can achieve good results,” he said.
He’s in good shape. After going 8-7 with a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts this season, Park has been more consistent in September, going 3-0 with a 3.13 ERA in four starts. “After playing the season, I’m in good shape, with no injuries. I pitched for the first time and my pace was good, which is positive,” Park said.
As a pitching coach, he has to lead the team. Park said, “I didn’t say anything special to the pitchers. They are all doing well. There are many players who are young but have been working out thoroughly.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to say that we are a national team, so I hope that we can become a national team that can help each other like a family, so that if the younger brother is having a hard time, the older brother can help him, and if the older brother is having a hard time, the younger brother can help him,” Park concluded.
He emphasized the importance of ‘atmosphere’ because it’s a short-term game. “This is the fourth time I’ve been on the national team, and since there are so many players, I think the most important thing is the atmosphere. I think (our performance) will be determined by how good the atmosphere is. When we’re scoring a lot of points or winning, the mood is good, but when we’re in a bad situation, it’s important to lift the mood.”
When asked why he performed particularly well in international competitions, Park said, “It’s true that I did well, but I think I focused on each 토토사이트 moment rather than looking for a reason. I also had a lot of responsibility as a national team member. At the WBC, I was a middle-aged player, but because I was playing with the Taeguk mark, I was responsible, so I think good results followed.”