Kang, Choo among MLBers named to South Korea WBC roster
South Korea has finalized its roster for the 2017 World Baseball Classic, some four months ahead of the tournament's opening games.
The roster, while predominantly made up of players from the Korean Baseball Organization, includes four names familiar to MLB fans. Texas Rangers outfielder Shin-soo Choo, Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim, and free-agent first baseman Dae-Ho Lee - who spent 2016 with the Seattle Mariners - were all named to the team.
| Player | Pos. | 2016 Team |
|---|---|---|
| Won-jun Chang | P | Doosan Bears (KBO) |
| Hyun-seung Lee | P | Doosan Bears (KBO) |
| Yong-chan Lee | P | Doosan Bears (KBO) |
| Hyeon-jong Yang | P | KIA Tigers (KBO) |
| Chang-yong Lim | P | KIA Tigers (KBO) |
| Kyu-min Woo | P | LG Twins (KBO) |
| Jung-woo Lim | P | LG Twins (KBO) |
| Kwang-hyun Kim | P | SK Wyverns (KBO) |
| Hee-soo Park | P | SK Wyverns (KBO) |
| Woo-chan Cha | P | Samsung Lions (KBO) |
| Jong-hyun Won | P | NC Dinos (KBO) |
| Si-hwan Chang | P | KT Wiz (KBO) |
| Dae-eun Rhee | P | Chiba Lotte Marines (Japan) |
| Eui-ji Yang | C | Doosan Bears (KBO) |
| Min-ho Kang | C | Lotte Giants (KBO) |
| Tae-kyun Kim | 1B | Hanwha Eagles (KBO) |
| Dae-Ho Lee | 1B | Seattle Mariners |
| Keun-woo Jeong | 2B | Hanwha Eagles (KBO) |
| Geon-chang Seo | 2B | Nexen Heroes (KBO) |
| Kyoung-min Hur | 3B | Doosan Bears (KBO) |
| Sok-min Park | 3B | NC Dinos (KBO) |
| Jae-ho Kim | SS | Doosan Bears (KBO) |
| Jung Ho Kang | IF | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Byung-hun Min | OF | Doosan Bears (KBO) |
| Yong-kyu Lee | OF | Hanwha Eagles (KBO) |
| Hyoung-woo Choi | OF | Samsung Lions (KBO) |
| Shin-soo Choo | OF | Texas Rangers |
| Hyun Soo Kim | OF | Baltimore Orioles |
It will be the third time Kim and Lee participate in the tournament; they were members of the country's squad in 2009 and 2013. Kang was also part of South Korea's entry in 2013, while Choo was the lone big-leaguer on the 2009 team. No South Korean major-leaguers participated in the 2013 WBC, when the country was bounced in the first round for the first time in tournament history.
Among the notable names omitted were Minnesota Twins first baseman Byung Ho Park, who's rehabbing a wrist injury following a disappointing rookie season in MLB. St. Louis Cardinals reliever Seung Hwan Oh was also left off the roster, likely due to a gambling scandal from his days in the KBO, according to Choi Hyung-Jo of Korea JongAng Daily.
South Korea is hosting Pool B of the 2017 WBC at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome. Manager In-sik Kim's squad begins its tournament March 6 against Israel.