SOUTH KOREA – The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has included eight members currently playing overseas in its preliminary roster for the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March.

But, how many players among them will join the team remains to be seen as controversies overshadow their selection.

San Diego Padres pitcher Baek Cha-seung takes center stage in the storm after the 28-year-old, who went 6-10 with a 4.79 ERA last season, acquired American citizenship in 2005, which exempted him from military service.

Unlike other international contests, the WBC allows a player to play for his parents’ home country. That means Baek is eligible to participate in the competition with the South Korean team, which reached the final four in the inaugural competition in 2006.

But Baek has declined to play for his birth country because of the passport issue.

“I really thank manager Kim In-sik for picking me,’’ Baek, who is now training in Busan, said in a media interview Wednesday.

“But I will try my best to show solid performances in the big league (for South Korea and the fans).’’

Manager Kim said Baek is a missing piece of the team puzzle, which is full of strong lefties such as Kim Kwnag-hyun and Ryu Hyun-jin

“We need to give him a chance to serve for Korea,” he said Tuesday.

Baek, then labeled as the “next Park Chan-ho,’’ was expelled permanently from the national team by the Korea Baseball Association (KBA) after the right-hander felt pain in his elbow and walked off the mound of his own volition during a game against Taiwan in the semifinal of the Asian Junior Baseball Championship in 1998.

Free agent hurler Kim Byung-hyun is another who has caused dissent.

The right-handed sidearmer, 29, did not pitch in the U.S. Major Leagues in 2008 after being cut by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the spring camp following lackluster performances.

Although he is reported to train on his own, his one-year absence from baseball gave rise to some opposition, even among the technical committee that made the roster.

Lee Seung-yeop of the Yomiuri Giants and free agent Park Chan-ho said they would not play in order to focus on next season.

Lee, who was busy playing throughout the year for the Beijing Olympics, had a career-worst season in Japan, while Park was not offered salary arbitration by the Los Angeles Dodgers, so the 15-year veteran is looking for a new team to extend his big league career.

Park, however, will play for the national team just in case he strikes a two-year deal.

Cleveland Indians outfielder Choo Shin-soo, who had a breakout season in 2008, is also uncertain to play.

Members of the 2006 team benefited from skipping military duty after the government waived their mandatory status, but there is no plan to do so for next year’s competition, leading to uncertainty over whether the Indians will release him.

Source: Korea Times

Tags: South Korea