It is a record of hot youth.
Someone’s heart was as hot as the hot weather that went up to 36 degrees Celsius. Even if some call them amateur club members, they were national representatives who went to international competitions with the Taegeuk mark on their chests.
“When I hear the national anthem, something boils in my heart. I especially shed tears in ‘Daehan Man Daehan Road’.” Athletes took off their hats and raised their hands to their chests during the national competition. I closed my eyes and promised victory. Pitcher Lee Ji-sook prayed, “Please win today so that young women’s baseball players can play baseball in a good environment.”스포츠토토
The players suffered bruises all over their bodies after being hit by the pitcher’s ball that they couldn’t control. On the evening of the day the ball was hit, outfielder Ahn Su-ji’s leg was bruised. “I don’t think there will ever be a day when you don’t get bruises when you play baseball, right?” “yes that’s right.” Ahn Suji didn’t care. It didn’t matter to Ahn Su-ji. This is because he was able to get on base as the number one hitter.
At the end of March, when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, the players gathered at the baseball field and trained all day instead of viewing the cherry blossoms. Someone did. “It’s a sin of loving baseball more than cherry blossoms.” They gave up their weekends for three months to prepare for the international competition. Catcher and captain Choi Min-hee said, “The national team is a place that warms my heart just thinking about it.” Due to his training, he had to leave his young daughter at home.
The national team of office workers wrote ‘annual leave’ and headed to Hong Kong, where the ‘2023 Asian Cup (BFA)’ was held at the end of May. High school and college students went out to seek understanding from the school. Catcher Lee Bit-na also changed his job so she could focus on her favorite game, baseball.
“I am in tears because I am 40 years old.” Pitching coach Lee Dong-hyun of the national team could not hide his intense emotions at the fighting spirit of the team. Field coach Jung Geun-woo and battery coach Heo Il-sang shed tears when the women’s national baseball team won the World Baseball World Cup by winning against the Philippines. Coach Heo Il-sang said, “Women’s baseball players aren’t people who play baseball for money. I felt the love for baseball so much that I shed tears without even realizing it.”
There was a lot of pressure and responsibility. Tension was evident on the faces of the players before the game, fearing if they failed to win a ticket to the world tournament after losing to the Philippines, it would become an obstacle to the development of women’s baseball. This is why the players cried so endlessly after winning the match against the Philippines. There was a lot in those tears.
There is no female baseball player who has only played baseball comfortably. She is unseen as she does not receive glances mixed with wonder and suspicion from her saying ‘she plays baseball by a woman’. There are only 45 female professional baseball teams nationwide. There is no place I haven’t been to all over the country to play. There are not many places in Seoul where you can play baseball.
Even so, everyone is investing their money and time in baseball. Wanting to know how to play baseball better, he goes to lessons at his own expense, kicks a sandbag, and climbs a mountain. If I don’t have enough space, I go to my apartment parking lot late at night and swing my bat. It’s because I love that little ball game that is only 141g. It’s something you can never do if you don’t love. “I live by instinct.” As national team captain Choi Min-hee said, baseball is their ‘instinct’. It is an ‘instinct’ that continues even when the future is uncertain.
A poet said so. ‘Youth’ is not a certain period of life, but a fresh passion that springs from the deep springs of life with a strong will. I felt it when I saw them. It was youth.