'There is no room for disagreement,' Manager Ryu Ji-hyun 'without hesitation' named the Asian Games MVP: "A player beyond mere praise" [Toyohashi Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

"He's over there."

When asked to name the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the gold medal-winning team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya (Japan) Asian Games baseball tournament, South Korea national team manager Ryu Ji-hyun immediately pointed to one player. Ace Kwak Bin (27, Doosan Bears), who was being interviewed by foreign media reporters near Manager Ryu, was the one he indicated. It is rare for a coach of a championship team to give such an immediate answer when asked to name the MVP. However, there was virtually no room for disagreement with Manager Ryu's choice of Kwak Bin as the MVP.

There was a reason. On the 21st, in the tournament's opening match against Taiwan at Okazaki Citizens Stadium in Japan, Kwak started and pitched six innings without allowing a single hit. He recorded an overwhelming 10 strikeouts, demonstrating the presence of a true ace. Then, on the 27th, he took the mound for the long-awaited "final Korea-Japan match" at Toyohashi Stadium in Japan. Over 6⅓ innings, he allowed four hits and one earned run while striking out nine batters. His dominant pitching through the sixth inning was marred only by a brief lapse in the seventh — the only flaw in an otherwise perfect performance. After allowing an equalizing run, Kwak handed over the ball and left the mound, visibly struggling to hold back tears with fierce competitive spirit, earning applause from the fans.

Manager Ryu Ji-hyun said, "We never used the term 'wild card' before because the best players were gathered together. We believed that when the players united, they would create synergy. Among them, Kwak Bin was the oldest. Although No Si-hwan is the captain, I truly believe there are no words beyond praise for Kwak's unwavering sense of responsibility until the very end."

Continuing, Manager Ryu added, "Today (the 27th), Kwak faced a crossroads: whether to finish in the sixth or seventh inning. He expressed his desire to complete up to the seventh inning. When the pitching coach came out, we confirmed his intention again, and he insisted on finishing the game himself. As a manager, I felt it was essential to respect that decision. However, once the score was tied, with his pitch count reaching 111, I believed a substitution was necessary."

Kwak Bin also expressed satisfaction with his own performance in this tournament. When asked by reporters to rate his two appearances on a scale of 100, he smiled and said, "I'd like to give myself 100 points this time." He added, "This Asian Games feels like solving problems I couldn't resolve before. Since I considered this my last Asian Games, I feel truly fortunate."

Furthermore, he urged fans to support the younger players. "Honestly, I think the South Korea national team has many shortcomings. However, I believe our young players have a high potential to grow significantly," he said. "Rather than criticism, if you cheer for us with one heart, I am convinced that Korean baseball will inevitably develop."

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*This content was translated by AI.