Doosan Bears infielder Lee Yoo-chan couldn’t smile even though his team’s first win in the series. It was because of his mistake.
Lee Yoo-chan played as a substitute in Game 9 of the season against the Samsung Lions in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at 메이저사이트 Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 8th. He stepped on the ground ahead of the top of the ninth inning and faced a dizzying situation shortly after.
Lee Yoo-chan, who ran forward when Kim Sung-yoon grounded out at second base with two outs in the top of the ninth inning when his team was leading 5-2, quickly continued his throwing movement after the catch, and second baseman Jose Pirella ran home around the third base as the ball fell behind the first baseman.
As the gap between the two teams narrowed to two points, one home run could have tied the score. At least, closer Hong Gun-hee ended the game by turning Oh Jae-il into a shortstop fly ball, and only then did Lee Yoo-chan take a breather.
The head coach didn’t pay much attention to Lee Yoo-chan’s mistake. Doosan manager Lee Seung-yeop asked reporters if Lee Yoo-chan’s defense was regrettable the previous day ahead of the home game against Samsung on the 9th, “Was it regrettable?” and said, “No matter who was the second baseman, it was safe.”
“I think it’s actually a mistake for the first runner to pass through the third base and go home, but if it wasn’t for Lee Yoo-chan, I wouldn’t have been able to catch and throw the ball,” Lee said. “I haven’t been able to start for a long time, but my condition wasn’t that bad when I practiced,” he said.
However, even in the game that the head coach encouraged, Lee Yoo-chan made mistakes in base and defense, pouring cold water on the team.
Starting as the ninth batter and second baseman, he seemed to be pressuring his opponent as he hit a heavy hit with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning with his team leading 3-2. The problem was after that. Lee Yoo-chan stepped down due to tag-out as Woo Kyu-min was in check at the time of follow-up hitter Jung Soo-bin’s at-bat, and the inning ended as it was. It was a fatal mistake for both Doosan and Lee Yoo-chan because one point was more important than ever.
This wasn’t the end. Lee Yoo-chan chose to play home after catching Kang Han-ul’s ground ball in the top of the ninth inning with one out and runners on second and third bases, when the throw fell behind the catcher, while third baseman Ryu Ji-hyuk and second baseman Pirella scored one after another. Considering the bounce, it was not easy to catch the third baseman, and that does not mean that the throw was accurate. In many ways, it was a disappointing defense for Doosan.
There is a clear second baseman named Kang Seung-ho, and there are infield resources that can be used immediately, such as Park Gye-beom. However, considering both the present and future of the team, Doosan’s options can be increased a little more only when Lee Yoo-chan plays his role.
This season, Lee Yoo-chan, along with Park Chan-ho (KIA Tigers) and Noh Si-hwan (Hanwha Eagles), made the third-highest number of errors (13) in the league. If the scope is narrowed within the team, Lee Yoo-chan is the player who recorded the most mistakes. Nevertheless, the coach’s faith is firm. Now he has to live up to the team’s expectations.