In the World Baseball Classic (WBC) held in March, there are players who are not Korean nationals but wear the Taegeuk mark. This is St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Thomas Suspension Edmon (28). He is Korean American. We met Edmund, who is about to compete in the WBC, on the 14th (Korean time) at Jupiter Rogerdine Stadium in Florida, USA, a camp in St. Louis.
Even non-national players can participate in the WBC according to their parents or grandparents’ lineage and place of birth. Korea had never selected a foreign player of Korean descent until the 4th tournament in 2017. However, this time, Edmund, whose mother is Korean, was selected as the representative player (30 players) to form the best team. Edmund said, “It is an honor to be the first non-Korean player to wear the Taegeuk mark.”
Edman was born to a second-generation Korean immigrant mother, Kwak Kyung-ah, and an American father, John Edman. He started playing baseball with his older brother, influenced by his father, a former baseball coach. Edmund was a 6th round draft pick by St. Louis in 2016, and made his big league debut in 2019. In 2021 he won the Gold Glove (National League second baseman) for best defenseman. In the WBC, he is expected to form a keystone combination with Kim Ha-seong (San Diego Padres).
Edmund was originally scheduled to join the national team in Japan right before the tournament while training for his team. However, he flew to Korea instead of Japan and headed towards joining the national team. He is visiting his mother’s country for the first time in his life. Edmund said, “Thanks to the interest of Korean fans, I was encouraged. He explained that his maternal grandmother, who lives in LA, read Korean newspapers and there were many articles about them. She also has a lot of Korean followers on social media.”
When he joins the Korean national team, he will also meet Kim Gwang-hyun, whom he played with in St. Louis for two years. He said, “I’m excited to see KK (Kim Kwang-hyun) again. He has also talked to Ha-seong Kim (San Diego) a few times. He also knows Kim Hyun-soo, who played for Baltimore. He also heard the news about ‘Lee (Lee Jung-hoo)’ coming to America next year. He is happy to play on the same team.”
Edmon is a utility player. He can play as an infielder as well as an outfielder. He has quick feet and a good baseball sense. “You can contribute to the team in many ways,” he said. I am quick on my feet. It is my strong point to maintain consistency every time I stand at bat.” 바카라사이트
Korea faces Japan in the group stage. Japan also selected St. Louis outfielder Lars Taylor-Tatsuji Nuuba. Nutba was born to a Japanese mother and a Dutch-American father of mixed British and German ancestry. His nationality is currently American. The two active players of St. Louis are already engaged in a fierce battle of nerves. St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright, who is representing the United States, said, “Edman and Nutba are players who can help the Korean and Japanese national teams. It would have been nice if they played together on the U.S. national team. Anyway, the US will win the gold medal.”
Nuthba, who was selected for the Japanese national team, met Korean reporters and smiled, saying, “We will beat Korea.” Edmund is also determined not to lose. He said, “Nutba and I are already competing with words to win each other. I am competing with Nutba in Tokyo, and I hope that Korea will rise higher than Japan.”
Edmund speaks very little Korean. But he said, “Hello” and greeted the reporters. He recently said that he is learning Korean through an application. At the end of his interview, he wrote down his name ‘Hyunsoo Fighting!’ I heard the phrase.