SUWON, South Korea, As late as the first week of June, the KT Wiz were stuck in last place in the Korea Baseball Organization. Amid mounting injuries and subpar performances up and down the lineup, few pundits gave the Wiz much of a chance to reach the postseason.
Following a hard second-half push, the Wiz finished the regular season in second place and earned a bye to the second round of the postseason, which begins Monday against the NC Dinos.
Given the way the Wiz defied expectations, there is no pressure on the team at this point, captain Park Kyung-su said.
In this Sept. 24, 2023, file photo provided by the KT Wiz, Wiz infielder Park Kyung-su (R) bumps fists with manager Lee Kang-chul after a 3-2 win over the Kia Tigers in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in the southwestern city of Gwangju. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"I think a lot of us feel the same way about the kind of year we've had. It's been a miracle of a season," Park said in his pregame media scrum at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, just south of Seoul. "So we're not feeling any pressure. I think we're ready to enjoy the experience here. But at the same time, we want to pounce on this opportunity because we worked so hard to grab it."
By some quirks of the end-of-season schedule, the Wiz wrapped up their regular season on Oct. 10, a full week before other teams finished their campaigns. The Wiz will now play for the first time in 20 days.
Though they will inevitably face questions over rust, Park dispelled such concern.
"I don't think the guys felt rusty or out of their rhythm the past couple of weeks," Park said. "Obviously, intrasquad scrimmages may not feel the same as real games, but we tried to replicate the atmosphere the best we could. We hit some hard pitches off the machine. We should be fine."
Park, a glove-first second baseman, won the Korean Series MVP award in 2021 after helping the Wiz to their first-ever title with spectacular defense.
A career .249 hitter, Park batted just .200 in 107 games this season, but Park said he knows he is not in the lineup to deliver big hits.
In this Oct. 4, 2023, file photo provided by the KT Wiz, Wiz second baseman Park Kyung-su makes a throw to first base during a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game against the Kia Tigers at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
"I know the team counts on me to play strong defense," Park said. "I may not have the range that I once had. So I've tried to work on my fundamentals over the past three weeks."
The Wiz are now playing in their fourth consecutive postseason. With the core mostly intact, Park said such experience can only help.
"I don't think even some of our young guys will have any issues with nerves," Park said. "All those years of playing postseason ball will prove to be great assets for them."
Source: Yonhap News Agency