After watching his young pitchers struggle to find the strike zone in two exhibition games against Japan over the weekend, South Korea manager Ryu Ji-hyun came away convinced he will need some steady veteran presence on his youthful team for next year's World Baseball Classic (WBC).
Ryu and the national team returned home Monday afternoon after recording a loss and a tie in two games against the Samurai Japan at Tokyo Dome.
South Korea lost the first game 11-4, with the pitching staff coughing up a 3-0 lead and issuing nine walks.
South Korea again blew a 3-0 lead in the second game, with its pitchers walking 12 batters -- including four with the bases loaded. Kim Ju-won's solo shot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning helped secure a 7-7 tie.
"When new faces join forces with a few players who played in these games, then we should be able to put together a complete team," Ryu told reporters at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. "I was able to develop conviction on that front through these two games."
The average age of Ryu's pitching staff was about 22 years old, and some of the older pitchers, like the 26-year-old Son Ju-young and the 25-year-old Won Tae-in, didn't even pitch in Tokyo due to their wear and tear from a long Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season.
Ryu blamed his young hurlers' control issues on several factors, including their general unfamiliarity with the WBC official ball in play, the strike zone called by human umpires as opposed to the automated ball-strike system in the KBO, and the pressure of playing Japan, South Korea's longtime sporting rival.
"Some pitchers still managed to perform to the best of their abilities in that circumstance," Ryu added. "And if they can gel with veterans, then I believe we will have an even better pitching staff."
Among older players that could be called up to training camp in January is the Hanwha Eagles left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin, who will be nearing his 39th birthday at the start of the WBC. The former National League All-Star and Major League Baseball ERA champion helped South Korea win the 2008 Olympic gold medal and has pitched in his share of big international games.
The manager said he was generally pleased with the performance of his position players, especially that of outfielder Ahn Hyun-min. A leading candidate for the KBO Rookie of the Year award this fall, Ahn homered in both games in Tokyo Dome while also drawing three walks and scoring three times from the No. 2 spot.
"We felt he would be a perfect fit as our No. 2 hitter before these games and he had a really good performance," Ryu said. "With the confidence he's gained from these games, I am sure he will play well at the WBC."