It was Jeon “Idoryu” Mir who broke the 30-year Blue Dragon drought that Gyeongbuk High School had been waiting for. Jeon led the team to the national championship with impressive performances in both the two and three hitting positions. With the rookie designation just around the corner, Jeon also showed his love for the Samsung Lions, the team he grew up watching in his hometown of Daegu.
On July 27, Gyeongsangbuk-do won the final between Mulgeumgo and Cheongryonggi 4-1 at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul. Gyeongbuk State won the Cheongryonggi title for the first time in 30 years, after winning the tournament in 1993 when Lee was a player.카지노사이트
Unable to utilize Jeon Mir as a pitcher due to a rest day rule based on pitch count, Kyungpook put Lee Seung-heon on the mound for the final. The team’s batting lineup consisted of Kim Se-hoon (shortstop), Park Kwan-woo (left fielder), Lim Jong-sung (third baseman), Jeon Mir (designated hitter), Lee Seung-hyun (catcher), Kim Woo-hyuk (first baseman), Lee Seong-hwan (right fielder), Park Hyun-hoo (second baseman), and Park Gun-woo (center fielder).
Jeon Mir, an Ido-ryu prospect from Gyeongbuk High School, led the Cheongryonggi to their first victory in 30 years. Photo by Kim Geun-han, reporter
Gyeongsangbuk-do got off to a fresh start when Lee Seung-hyun struck out Kim Woo-sung with runners on first and second in the top of the first inning.
Gyeongbuk State took control of the game in the bottom of the first inning. After back-to-back walks by Kim Se-hoon and Park Kwan-woo and a sacrifice bunt by Lim Jong-sung put runners on second and third, No. 4 hitter Jeon Mir hit a two-run single up the middle to take the lead.
In the bottom of the second inning, Kyungpook State had runners on second and third after a leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt and a double by Park Gun-woo. Leadoff hitter Kim Se-hoon hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score another run.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Gyeongsangbuk-do got lucky again. In the bottom of the fourth inning, with two outs and two runners on base, Kim hit a fly ball to left field that was misplayed by the opposing fielder.
On the mound, starting pitcher Lee Seung-heon’s crisis management skills shined. After allowing a leadoff double in the top of the fifth and a throwing error by the shortstop in the top of the sixth that put runners on first and third, Lee retired the next two batters in order to get a quality start.
In the top of the seventh, Lee struck out Kim Ki-hwan with runners on first and third and got Kim Woo-sung to ground out to third to prevent another run. Lee set the stage for his team’s victory with a quality start plus a complete game, allowing no runs on seven hits and three walks on 104 pitches in seven innings.
Kyungpook State scored its first run in the top of the eighth inning when left-hander Park Kwan-woo gave up a bases-loaded single. However, Park struck out the next batter, Kang Kang-kyung, and got Ko Seung-hyun to fly out to center field to prevent further damage and preserve the lead.
For Gyeongbuk High, Jeon was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Suhun was named the Most Valuable Pitcher. Jeon excelled at the Cheongryonggi tournament, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs scored, and as a pitcher, going 2-2 with 13 strikeouts in 11.2 innings over two games with a 0.00 ERA.
Speaking to the media after the game, Jeomir said, “As a pitcher today, I couldn’t throw the ball (laughs). At the plate, I slightly sprained my wrist while sliding, but it turned out to be a good hit because I hit it with less effort. I was underestimated before the tournament, so that motivated me even more. I’m happy to feel the moment of victory for the last time with my friends,” he smiled.
Jeon has continued his two-hitting career. “Honestly, I have a lot to work on as a hitter,” said Gyeongbuk High School coach Lee Jun-ho. If he goes to the pros, it would be better for him to focus on pitching.”
However, Jeon has no intention of giving up his two-hitting career anytime soon. If he were to go to the pros, he’d still try his hand at two-hitting first.
“Of course, I have to fulfill the role of giving instructions from the bench, but personally, I want to continue to play two-hitting even if I go to the professional stage. I always want to play in all positions with an open mind. My personal interest is hitting, but not everything that is fun works out. I think I performed better as a pitcher in this tournament,” he said.
Jeon Mir celebrates after his hit in the Cheongnyonggi final. Photo by Kim Geun-han, reporter
His role model, of course, is Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels), the pinnacle of Idoryu. He explained his strengths as a pitcher and a hitter.
“As a pitcher, my strengths are my mental toughness and the ability to go straight into a game without being intimidated. I’m also confident in my stamina to throw the ball for a long time. As a hitter, my strengths are that I can make strong contact and I have more power than I think. In the field, I’ve played catcher, but I’m most confident in my defense at third base.”
Jeon is a potential first-round pick in the upcoming rookie draft. There is also a lot of interest in whether Samsung, a local team with ties to the area, will draft him, especially since Gyeongbuk High is located in Daegu. Samsung holds the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2024 draft. The outpouring of affection from Samsung fans for Jeon has been overwhelming.
“I’ve always loved the Samsung Lions because I was born and raised in Daegu, and I grew up watching Samsung Lions baseball. Of course, I’m a student-athlete right now, so I’m not thinking about being named a rookie right now. I’ll start thinking pro when I put on a pro jersey. I’m just going to focus on what I have to do every single day, every single day, from where I stand right now.”