The aftershock of the 2023 WBC (World Baseball Classic) ‘Tokyo Disaster’ continues.
After being eliminated in the first round of the finals, there are strong calls for reform both inside and outside the baseball world. Leaders-athletes, officials and experts all sing with one voice of reflection and renewal.안전놀이터 After going through a short renaissance, each person says that the reality of Korean baseball, which has been weeded out and degraded to a frog in the well, needs to be changed. The KBO also delivered a message of apology to the public and promised to come up with mid- to long-term measures to improve the KBO league performance and national team competitiveness.
However, it is unclear whether Korean baseball will really change with this WBC as an opportunity.
Seongto’s voice has been around for several years. Even after the 2013 WBC Taichung disaster and the 2017 WBC Gocheok disaster, voices of self-examination and renewal resonated in the KBO League. Several problems were mentioned, such as the amateur players’ lack of basic skills, the culture of victory supremacy, the weakening competitiveness of professional players, and institutional inadequacies.
Changes made by converging these voices. Nothing was done right, and the result was a repeat of the disaster.
There was no direction. It is the same from the appointment of the national team command tower. The full-time coach system was introduced from 2017, citing the fact that entrusting the national team to incumbent coaches adds to the burden and makes it difficult to focus on the competition, but after winning a no medal at the Tokyo Olympics, it turned to an adjunct coach system again. After a sluggish performance at the WBC this time, there is talk of introducing a full-time supervisor system again. The strengthening of cooperation between pros and amateurs also fizzled out at some point. The same goes for systems that could be a fundamental solution to improving performance, such as the expansion of foreign players. Although systems such as changing the repulsive force of the official ball and expanding the strike zone have been implemented, it has been proven that they cannot be fundamental solutions through the Tokyo Olympics and this WBC.
If so, what should I change this time?
The first thing to do is to prepare properly before changing. That is the problem with the national team, which was temporarily operated. An institution that can establish the direction to go from composition to operation, support, and the goal of the competition must be institutionalized. It is worth referring to the ‘Samurai Japan’ brand of the Japanese baseball team, which has been pointed out many times before.
Preparations for institutional reform should be more careful and meticulous. It is necessary to properly resolve the intertwined interests of the baseball world in general, such as KBO-KBSA (Korea Baseball Softball Federation), each club, and the Athletes’ Association. If there is cooperation, it is necessary to think about what proposals to discuss and how to complete the structure so that the working-level staff can implement the mid- to long-term plan without wavering even when the leadership is replaced, and then put it into practice. If there is something lacking, change or fill it, and if there is something you do not know, learn it. It requires unreserved action.
Baseball figures who have been pouring in after this WBC failure should also take action instead of just criticizing the decision. In order to directly improve the crisis of amateurs and the decline of professional skills, you can gain persuasiveness by showing the image of running on your feet and working hard. Criticism without alternatives and actions is nothing more than an accusation of personal aggression and an empty echo.
Now that a consensus has been formed about drastic changes, it may be the last chance for Korean baseball to escape from being a frog in the well. Without thorough preparation and execution, the disaster will repeat itself again. It should be kept in mind that the title of ‘Korea’s best professional sports’ can also become a thing of the past.