Coaches of South Korea’s professional baseball team, the Lotte Giants, in partnership with the Guam Department of Parks and Recreation, held a one-time baseball skills training session for Guam’s youth players. The training session took place at the Northern Sports Complex baseball fields in Dededo on Saturday, February 10th from 2:00pm – 4:00pm and was led by Giants Manager Kim Tae Hyung, Batting Coach Chung Sang Ho, Fielding Coach Kim Min Ho, and Hitting Coach Im Hoon. Giants team members and staff were also on site to assist coaches in the training sessions.
Twenty-four Guam youth players came out to train with the Giants’ coaching staff hoping to gain more experience, skill and training tips from the Giants coaches. According to the Giants’ Operations Manager Minji Kim, the coaches expressed their surprise at the competitive level of skill that the Guam players displayed. The players come from various Guam youth teams including Guam Little League, Cal Ripken, and the Guam U-15 National team, who recently beat New Zealand in the Oceania Qualifier for a spot in the WBSC U-15 Baseball World Cup this summer. Local coaches, parents, and baseball enthusiasts also came out to watch and support the players. The participants were divided into groups and received coaching and drills for pitching, hitting, and fielding. After their 2-hour session, the participants received official Lotte Giants baseball caps and undershirts.
“The best part about (this training session) for me was being able to directly talk to professionals and professional scouts, but for the team it was good because we got some professional tips as players,” said 15-year-old Patrick Saez Cruz Alvarez. “This experience is important for Guam athletes because it gives them a sense that there is a chance to make it or be noticed if we show the dedication.” Alvarez plays 2nd Base/Shortstop for the Barrigada Dodgers and the Father Duenas Friars and, like others in the group, has represented Guam in the Little League World Series, Cal Ripken Pacific Southwest Regionals, and WBSC U-15 World Cup.
The Giants arrived in Guam last week for their annual pre-season training from February 1 – 20. The team had planned to partake in CSR (Social Responsibility) activities with the community, which is a condition of their use of our fields per their arrangement with the Guam Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR).
The Lotte Giants is one of South Korea’s ten professional baseball franchise teams in the KBO League, which is the highest level of baseball in South Korea, and two-time winner of the Korea Series. The team’s pre-season training in Guam is sponsored by the Guam Visitors Bureau in collaboration with DPR, who coordinated the youth training session.
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