"I want to tell you everything, but..." Ryu Ji-hyun shouted 'shhh' when asked about starting pitcher against Japan + Taiwan! [the Tokyo scene]

*This content was translated by AI.

Ryu Ji-hyun (55) of the Korean national baseball team, who will compete in the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), has entered a thorough security mode ahead of the doomed "Korea-Japan match" and "Taiwan match." He expressed his intention to reveal the starting pitcher the day before the game, signaling a fierce information battle with the opposing team.

Coach Ryu Ji-hyun appeared at an official press conference ahead of the first round of the 2026 WBC (World Baseball Classic) finals at Tokyo Dome in Japan on the 4th and asked questions about starting pitchers against Japan and Taiwan. He maintained a cautious attitude with a smile on the starting pitcher against Japan and Taiwan, which are his biggest concerns.

Director Ryu Ji-hyun expressed caution about exposing the strategy, saying, "I want to tell you everything if I feel like it, but please understand that I can't." "As those who watched the Osaka practice game, which ended last, know, two pitchers, Soh Hyung-joon and Jung Woo-ju, did not play," he said, revealing the pitchers who will play against the Czech Republic. First of all, the starting pitcher against the Czech Republic on the 5th is Soh Hyung-joon, and after that, Jung Woo-joo is expected to be added.

First of all, regarding the part of the match against the Czech Republic with the "Soh Hyung-joon-Jung Woo-ju" card, manager Ryu Ji-hyun said, "I think Soh Hyung-joon and Jung Woo-ju should lead the game well," adding, "We will decide the next pitchers according to the score or various situations after that." In other words, they want to see the game situation such as the difference in scores.

In particular, the national team's calculation also includes a variable called a "rest day." Coach Ryu Ji-hyun said, "We have a day off on the 6th. Starting from that break day, I think there will be a more detailed plan on how to operate the pitcher later," he said. He takes a day off after playing against the Czech Republic on the 6th, and since he meets Japan at 7 p.m. on the 7th and then Taiwan at 12 p.m. on the 8th, he is interpreted as the will of the "all-out war" to pour out all the resources available after examining the bullpen situation.

The national team entered Tokyo with a decent performance of one win and one draw against the Hanshin Tigers and the Orix Buffaloes in a practice match in Osaka. Although the problems of bullpen pitchers' ball control were revealed, there was also an explosive hitting power.

In the end, Ryu Ji-hyun's fate seems to depend on the "mound's concentration." While continuing the explosive power shown by the batters in Osaka to the Tokyo Dome, the starting pitchers against Japan and Taiwan, which are hidden in the veil, should play their role. Fans are paying attention to whether Ryu's must-win strategy hidden in "silence" can be proved as a result of advancing to the quarterfinals.

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*This content was translated by AI.