SEOUL — As the South Korean baseball championship round approaches, LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb has expressed his confidence, stating that his team is ready to face any opponent in their quest for the trophy.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Youm's statement on Wednesday, after achieving the best regular season record in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the LG Twins have earned a bye straight to the Korean Series. This best-of-seven championship series is scheduled to start on Tuesday, providing the team with more than three weeks of rest since their last regular season game on October 15.
The Twins, eager to claim their first title since 1994, are currently waiting to discover their opponent, which will be the winner of the second-round series between the KT Wiz and the NC Dinos. The Dinos have taken an early lead, winning the first two games of the best-of-five series, with a chance to complete a sweep on Thursday night.
Youm has suggested that the Twins might benefit if the series between the Wiz and the Dinos extends to the full five games, potentially tiring out the eventual opponent before they face the rested Twins. Nonetheless, Youm affirmed his team's preparedness, stating, "Our preparation is done. No matter which team comes up, I think we will stand a great chance of beating them, as long as we play our brand of baseball."
He further noted that the team has engaged in several scrimmages in the past few weeks to stay sharp, ensuring that rust will not be a factor. The Twins have also opened their final scrimmage to fans for free, aiming to create a game-like atmosphere at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.
While Youm has been keeping a close eye on the postseason, he acknowledged the strong performance of the Dinos but remained optimistic about the Twins' prospects, regardless of their opponent. He has also announced the team's four-man rotation for the Korean Series, with Casey Kelly starting Game 1, followed by Choi Won-tae, Im Chan-kyu, and Kim Yun-sik.
Highlighting the strength of the Twins' bullpen, which led all teams with a 3.43 ERA during the regular season, Youm indicated that relievers would play a crucial role in the series. This emphasis on the bullpen comes particularly after the team parted ways with one of their top regular-season starters, Adam Plutko, due to a prolonged injury.