The steps of Ahn Woo-jin (24, Kiwoom Heroes), the best pitcher in the KBO league, were twisted. As it is virtually difficult to select the national team, it is no longer possible to expect compensation for the number of days registered for the first team. He receives high attention from American Major League Baseball (MLB) clubs, but it is not easy to fill the ‘1st team registration period of 7 years’, which is possible with the posting system (private competitive bidding).
An Woo-jin was excluded from the 30-man final entry list for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) announced on the 4th. He was dropped from the 50-person list of interest in the preliminary entry concept, and was frustrated in the final entry and participation in the tournament. The WBC final entry could be replaced by injury. However, even in this case, the selection of Ahn Woo-jin is not expected to be considered.
It is the ‘past’ that caught his ankle. At the time of joining in 2018, Ahn Woo-jin received a ‘3-year suspension of qualification’ from the Korea Baseball Softball Association due to school violence (school violence) committed during high school, and was permanently deprived of the national team selection qualification according to the rules of the Korea Sports Council. As a result of this discipline, organizations under the Korea Sports Council were unable to compete in the Olympics and Asian Games, which manage the selection of national teams.
However, since the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) forms the national team regardless of the Korea Sports Council, it was possible to select Ahn Woo-jin as the representative of the WBC. Last year, there was no disagreement about his skills as a pitcher who won two gold medals (ERA, strikeouts) and even won the Golden Glove in the pitching category.
After repeated internal struggles, the KBO completed the final entry without Ahn Woo-jin. Cho Beom-hyun, chairman of the KBO Technical Committee, said, “We decided on the final 30 players considering the symbolic meaning of the national team representing the country, responsibility and pride, along with the player’s skills.”
For Ahn Woo-jin, the selection of the WBC representative was important. Last year (169 days) was the only season in which An Woo-jin, who debuted in 2018, exceeded 145 days of registration in the first team. In the KBO League, the current first team registration days must be 145 days or more to be recognized as having played the season.
Ahn Woo-jin was registered in the first group for about 100 days in 2018 and 2019, respectively. In 2020 and 2021, his first-team registration days were 130 and 139, respectively. Seasons that do not meet the 145 days can be filled by receiving compensation for the number of days registered for participating in the national team. Even if the WBC only participates in the tournament, 10 days of registration for the first team are rewarded (up to 60 days in case of winning). If Ahn Woo-jin entered the tournament, he could exceed 145 days by adding the number of WBC participation compensation days (10 days) to the number of days registered for the first team in 2021 (139 days). 슬롯사이트
Ahn Woo-jin was virtually blocked from participating in future international competitions. Unless the disciplinary action of the Korea Baseball Softball Association is changed, he cannot play in the Hangzhou Asian Games (AG) in September, when military service benefits are provided. The same goes for the Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC), which will be held in November.
APBC, like the WBC, can draw a representative. However, if the current atmosphere continues, it will not be easy to wear the Taegeuk mark. This APBC team consists of a total of 26 players, including players under the age of 24 (those born on or after January 1, 1999) or players under the age of 3 years of professional service, and 3 wild card players. Ahn Woo-jin was born on August 30, 1999. APBC can receive registration rewards for 10 days and up to 20 days respectively for participating in the competition and winning, but for An Woo-jin, it is a ‘rice cake in the picture’. It is evaluated that his range of maneuver has narrowed as he failed to join the WBC national team.
Ahn Woo-jin’s recognition season (based on the number of days he registered for the 1st team), which has been 5 years since he joined the pro, is only 3 years. Arithmetically, even if you work full-time every year, posting (private competitive bidding) for overseas advancement is possible only after the 2026 season is over. In the meantime, if you fulfill your military service, this point will inevitably be pushed back. It is a ‘monster’ that the big league scouts pay attention to, but it is expected that it will take quite a long time to meet the requirements for overseas advancement.