Controversy over WBC preferential treatment → Director Il. Sorry, sorry' It wasn't there! "Thinking about winning the game"

*This content was translated by AI.

Regarding the so-called "privilege controversy" that the 2026 WBC (World Baseball Classic) rules are too favorable to the host country, the United States and Japan, Hirokazu Ibata (51), the coach of the Japanese national team, declined to elaborate and expressed his willingness to focus only on the upcoming games.

The Japanese baseball team, led by head coach Ibata, will play against Venezuela in the quarterfinals at Rondipo Park in Miami, Florida, at 10 a.m. on the 15th (Korea time). Japan, which reached the top of the WBC in 2023, is in a situation where it must catch this game for its second consecutive victory.

At the official press conference ahead of the match, questions were asked about the global criticism that the WBC match and the rest days were arranged in favor of Japan and the United States.

It was a question that could be embarrassing, but manager Ibata's answer was firm. "Right now, I'm only thinking about the game in front of me," he said, dismissing the controversy. "We have to win the game in front of us right away. It's not too late to win such concerns," he added. Rather than bowing to criticism, it was a courageous attitude to prove everything with the result of "victory."

Key outfielder Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs), who represented the team, also expressed the same intention. When asked about his views as a player on the "special favor theory" that is spreading on SNS, Suzuki replied, "I just think we should show a really good game no matter what team we face."

"Every team that has come up to this stage is a great team," he said, adding, "Whatever the regulations are, we will just play our best every moment," stressing that external controversy will not disrupt the team's concentration.

The willingness to quell external controversy with skills was also read in the major changes in the starting lineup. Coach Ibata abruptly excluded veteran outfielder Kensuke Kondo (Softbank), who became a "hole" in the first round with no hits in 12 at-bats. Because if you lose, the WBC schedule is over.

Replacing that position is Sato Teruaki, the "great guns of Hanshin." Sato, who has not hidden his desire to advance to the Major League, will start as the "second batter and right fielder" and demonstrate his power in front of big league scouts. In addition, Superstar Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) was forward as the first designated hitter, and he set up a must-win strategy to destroy Venezuela from the beginning of the game.

In response, Venezuela's coach Omar Lopez acknowledged Japan's "detailed baseball" but also expressed confidence. "Japan plays very clean and sophisticated baseball," Lopez said in a pregame press conference. We should also reduce our mistakes, he said. "But we have solvers like Acuña and Suarez. I will break through with a head-to-head match," he said in counter-argument.

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*This content was translated by AI.