Second string Koreans beaten in baseball final

Korea came in second in the 36th World Cup of Baseball held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, after losing to Cuba 3-0 in the final, Sunday (Korean Time). Korea also placed second in the 1998 World Cup in Italy.
“We are very pleased that the national team was runner-up, overcoming difficult conditions,” said Kim Hee-ryon, an official at the Korean Baseball Organization.
Cuba won the World Cup for the ninth consecutive year, and has won 25 times in total.
The national team employed pitchers Choi Dae-sung of the Lotte Giants, Jang Won-sam of Kyungsung University, Yun Sung-kwui of Sangmu, and Lee Dae-hwan and Kim Dae-woo, both of the Hyundai Unicorns. Nevertheless, they gave up three runs to the Cubans. The team had little chance to counterattack with Cuba’s starting pitcher Dany Betancourt taking his team to one out in the eighth inning with a record of four hits and no runs.
The team, consisting of minor league and college players, and Sangmu players from the army, had only two weeks for practice and played better than expected. Coaches were aiming for a semifinal spot but following a difficult start the team improved as the event progressed.

by Lee Tai-il