Everyone was focused on Koo Chang-mo’s retention in the national team, not Lee Yi-ri’s. He had a bad shoulder and blisters on his fingers, but they weren’t a problem. However, Hangzhou Asian Games head coach Ryu Jung-il made a shocking decision on the 22nd after watching Lee pitch at the Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on the 21st. He decided to drop Lee from the team. The Korea Baseball Softball Association (KBSA) Performance Enhancement Committee and the KBO Power Enhancement Committee announced on Wednesday that the Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team has decided to replace Lee Yi-ri, who is recovering from a finger injury but will not be able to perform at his best during the Games.
Lee gave up five runs (four earned) in 1 1/3 innings against Hanwha in the 21st game. He got off to a good start in the first inning, striking out Lee Jin-young in the first, Choi In-ho in the second, and Noh Si-hwan in the third. However, the second inning was not as good. A walk to No. 4 Nick Williams, a hit-by-pitch to No. 5 Chae Eun-sung, and an infield single to No. 6 Kim Tae-yeon loaded the bases. Jung Eun-won hit a double to right field. 먹튀검증
With runners on first and second and Musa at 3-2, Lee Do-yoon induced a grounder to the shortstop in front of the plate, but the shortstop’s throw to first base after the force out at second curved into the right-field outfield. Kim Tae-yeon raced home to make it 3-3, and Lee Do-yoon raced to third to make it safe. It didn’t calm down. In the ninth, Choi Jae-hoon walked on a full count. With runners on first and third, he was eventually replaced by Yoon Jung-hyun, but both runners came home to extend Lee’s lead to five runs. No hits in the first inning with three strikeouts. In the second inning, Lee gave up five runs on two hits, two walks, and one hit batter with one out. It was a pitching nightmare.
His fastball only topped out at 144 mph, mostly in the low 130s and high 140s. His delivery wasn’t great either.
Normally, he would have thrown more pitches, but KIA manager Kim Jong-guk ordered Lee to be pulled after his pitch count reached 45. He had already said before the game that he wanted Lee to throw around 40 pitches. Later, the national team raised the pitch count and purposely did not throw much in order to ensure that he would throw properly in Hangzhou.
“I heard about it from the club officials and read about it in the newspapers,” KIA manager Kim Jong-kook told reporters before the team’s home game against the KT Wiz at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on April 22.
On the surface, the injury hasn’t improved, but Kim says he doesn’t feel any pain. “You can see it when you see him throwing,” Kim said, “and he’s going to make the next start.” “If he’s injured, you can’t honestly let him throw,” he defended.
The psychological impact of being eliminated from the national team must be devastating for Lee. “I met (Lee) at training,” Kim said, “and I told him, ‘Let’s be stronger,’ and I also told him, ‘Let’s forget it quickly,’ but as a player, I don’t think it will be forgotten quickly. I think he’s very emotionally hurt.”
Initially, KIA had planned to remove Lee from the first-team roster that day, but since he was dropped from the national team, he had to appear in the next starting rotation, leaving him in the first team.