The LG Twins’ Go Woo-seok, 25, has announced his intention to play in the major leagues.
Go joined LG as the first overall pick in the 2017 rookie draft. In 354 career KBO games (368 1/3 innings), Go established himself as one of Korea’s leading closers with a 19-26 record, six shutouts, 139 saves, and a 3.18 ERA.
However, this year has been a bit of a struggle. He was selected for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March, but was unable to play a single game due to injury, and at the Hangzhou Asian Games in September, he had a shaky outing, giving up two runs against Chinese Taipei. He finished the season with a 3-8 record, 15 saves, and a 3.68 ERA in 44 games (44 innings).
Go struggled mightily in the Korean Series, where LG attempted to win its first title in 29 years after winning the 1994 championship. In four games (4⅓ innings), he went 1-1 with one save and an 8.31 ERA. However, LG went on to win the series 4-1 and claimed the coveted Korean Series title, and Go Woo-seok pitched the ninth inning of Game 5, which decided the championship. Manager Yoon Kyung-yeop kept Go Woo-seok in the closer’s role until the end.
After overcoming his slump and clinching the win for LG, Go Woo-seok said in an interview after the win, “I’m really grateful that the coach believed in me until the end. When you’re out of form and the results aren’t good, it’s inevitable that your teammates, manager, and coach are equally anxious. However, the fact that he didn’t get anxious and continued to entrust me with such a task is something that I can only feel grateful for as a player.”
Ko Woo-seok, who is known for being an LG fan since childhood, said, “I don’t know how I feel right now. If we could have won the championship like this, I think we could have done it last year. I should be happy, but when I see that I don’t feel that way, I think I remember a lot of regretful moments. Rather than enjoying the joy of the victory right away and saying, “I want to win again next year,” he reflected on the disappointing moments and looked forward to the next season.
Go Woo-seok, who was hoping to win a championship for LG next year, surprised baseball fans when it was officially announced on the 15th that he had received a request for an ID check from Major League Baseball. Unlike Lee Jung-hoo (Kiwoom), who announced his move to the major leagues in a post before the season, Gowusuk hadn’t made any mention of his move to the major leagues until now. In 2017, his debut season, Go Wooseok logged 100 days of first-team registration, short of the 145 days required for a season, but he made up for it by playing for the national team.
A Major League Baseball background check request does not guarantee a player will make it to the major leagues. Major League Baseball clubs can request a background check at their discretion, regardless of the player’s wishes. However, after the Major League Baseball requested a background check, Go Woo-seok informed LG through his agent that he wanted to play in the Major Leagues. LG has not yet decided whether to allow him to post. Even if they do, it’s unclear if major league teams will offer him a satisfactory contract.
The Korean Series MVP, Oh Ji-hwan, vowed to start a dynasty immediately after the win. Park Dong-won, who hit the decisive home runs in Games 2 and 3, said, “We are too strong. I think we can win again next year,” he said, while Heo Do-hwan, who has won three titles with three different teams, added, “We are thinking about next year. We will try to win one more championship.” He emphasized his determination to win. 캡틴토토
It’s still a long shot, but if Go Woo-seok does indeed make it to the major leagues, it would be a major setback for LG’s plans for next season, as they look to win a second straight Korean Series. With LG looking to build a dynasty beyond its first championship in 29 years, Go Woo-seok is a must-have player.
He has expressed his desire to move on to bigger things, and many fans will be watching with interest to see what he does this winter.