Catcher Yang Yang-ji, who finished the first half of the season with the Doosan Bears on the rise, returned to the All-Star Game for the first time in five years to wear a uniform emblazoned with the Doosan logo.
Yang started as the Dream All-Star third baseman and catcher in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO All-Star Game at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on Friday. He topped both the fan vote and the player vote, earning a spot in the Best 12, marking his first All-Star Game appearance for Doosan since 2018 (Ulsan).
“I feel good every time I come to the All-Star Game,” Yang said. It’s an honor as a player to be chosen by the fans, and I’m always grateful every time I come,” he said. “I’m so grateful that the Doosan fans told me that they voted for me three times in one day, and I think I was able to work a little harder, so I think that’s why I did so well,” he added.
As he continued to sign autographs, a fan said, “Please steal more bases,” to which he laughed, “One more and I’ll have a career.” Yang has stolen the most bases in a season in 2013, 2018, and this year (six). His all-time stolen base success rate of 100% also stands out. “Coach Ko’s timing is the secret,” he said. Players who have less stolen bases than me now should think about it,” he joked lightly.
At the end of the first half, Yang-ji was most impressed with his coach, Lee Seung-yeop. “I’ve never had a private conversation with a coach when I was a player, but I’ve seen him on the field a lot, and I think it’s funny how he reacts to different situations. I still feel like a player,” he said, adding, “He was going to be the coach one day anyway, so I feel honored that he became the coach and I was able to play with him there.”
“When I’m not feeling well, he’s considerate and adjusts me to play as a designated hitter, so I think I’m in good enough shape to do it. I read in an article that (the coach) said that he shouldn’t get sick, but he’s praying, so I think I shouldn’t get sick. When I played against Pohang, I said, ‘I’ll play the last six games as a catcher,’ but I only played one game. I want to play a lot (as a catcher) in the second half,” he said, expressing his gratitude. 토토사이트 순위
After ending the first half on a nine-game winning streak, third-place Doosan has reduced the gap between itself and second-place SSG Landers to four games, putting it in a position to threaten the mid-table and even the top of the standings. During the team’s nine-game winning streak, Yang’s stats are 8-for-27 with 13 doubles, a .481 batting average and one home run. Doosan is the No. 1 team on other teams’ radar.
In a behind-the-scenes video of “All-Star Friday” on Doosan’s official YouTube channel on May 15, Ko Young-pyo (KT Wiz) said of Yang, “Doosan is so tight now that Yang is coming in,” and “(The effect of Yang) is deadly. Upon hearing this from the interviewer, Yang said, “As a player, I feel so good and grateful when I hear such things.” “Also, personally, I feel like I’m the best player on the team.