Lotte Giants catcher Yu Kang-nam (31) mentioned his dream of winning as soon as he stepped on Korean soil. He raised his voice that he would prepare thoroughly before the start of the season, revealing his aspirations to advance to the Korean Series, a long-cherished wish of both himself and the team.
The Lotte team returned home through Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 on the afternoon of the 7th. After starting the spring camp in Guam on the 1st of last month, he went to Okinawa and went through intensive training for over a month, honing his skills.
Yu Kang-nam, who has been wearing a Lotte uniform since this season, also sweated profusely throughout the winter. After the end of the 2022 season, Yoo Kang-nam obtained the first FA (free agent) qualification in his life, and after consideration, he left the LG Twins and transferred to Lotte. He has a strong will to pay his ransom as he received special treatment of 8 billion won for 4 years.
In an interview returning to Korea, Yoo Kang-nam said, “Spring camp is the same for all teams. There are differences in team culture, but there was no big difference in preparation for the season and training during the camp, and I tried to prepare as well as possible.” I personally checked various things even when I was not on the mound. I heard and thought about what kind of ball to throw well and what kind of main weapon to use.”
Kang-Nam Yoo focused more on defense than batting in this spring camp. He, along with battery coach Choi Gyeong-cheol, worked hard to improve the stealing block that revealed his weakness last year, such as correcting the throwing motion.
Kang-Nam Yoo himself said, “In the technical aspect, I made a lot of changes in the throwing motion in terms of defense. There was a lot of training, and I prepared by doing early work in the morning.” “He expressed his confidence.
The biggest goal this season is to step on the stage of the Korean Series. Kangnam Yoo has not yet experienced a single Korean series since his professional debut in 2011. Going up to the playoffs in the 2016 and 2022 seasons during the LG days is the highest stage Yoo Gang-nam has ever stepped on.
The new team, Lotte, also has a strong desire for the Korean Series. After finishing runner-up in the 1999 season, they failed to advance to the Korean Series for 23 consecutive years. During this period, only 7 appearances were made in the postseason.먹튀검증
Because of this, Yoo Kang-nam said, “You have to set your goals and dreams big. It would be nice to get to the top 5 once, but if you set big goals and really aim to win, I think you’ll be in the top 5.” I think I have to prepare with that kind of mind.”
He also expressed his opinion, “There is no pressure (to come as a FA and do well). All the same players start on the same line, so it seems important to not collapse in it.”