Tampa Bay hits 50% in the demonstration game.

Choi Ji-man (30) in the Major League Tampa Bay Race started properly. He is preparing for the regular season without a hitch, wielding 50% in the demonstration game.

On the 10th (Korean time), Mann Choi started with 5th batter and 1st baseman in a demonstration game against the Boston Red Sox at Charlotte Sports Park, Florida, USA, and scored 2 at-bats, 1 hit, 1 RBI. In the demonstration game, he hits 4 hits in 8 at-bats (0.500 batting average). On-base for 4 games and 3 consecutive hits were also continued. Choi Ji-man was replaced in the sixth defense, and Tampa Bay won 11-3.

Choi Ji-eun hit a left fielder flying ball against Boston right-hander Nick Peveta at the end of the first inning, where the team was 1-0. In the 4th inning, the first and second bases were met by Matt Hall. The batting ball flew like a bullet. Choi Ji-man, who had a hard time with the left-hander last year, picked his first hit in three at-bats against the left-hander in this year’s demonstration game. Second base runner Austin Meadows stepped home and scored his first RBI in the demonstration game. Choi Ji-man, who advanced to third base with Willy Adames’ hit, stepped on the groove in the follow-up infield ground.

Choi Ji-man did not play at the beginning because he injured his right knee just before the start of the demonstration game. However, as a result of a close examination, he was diagnosed with no abnormalities in the knee ligaments, bones, and muscles. Choi Man-man, who first appeared in the match against Pittsburgh on the 4th, quickly improved his condition. Although it was only four games, the OPS was 1.261.

Choi Ji-man, who turned from outfielder to first baseman, improved his defense every year. Last season, he was number one in the play goal minimization section of the scoop (scooping the ball with a ladle), and on this day as well, shortstop Adames made a one-bound throw in Boston’s first batter Christian Arroyo at-bat, but caught it cleanly. In the fourth inning, he blocked Alex Burgoo’s assault ball and caught out. Second baseman Joey Wen, who caught the ground ball in reverse motion in the fifth inning, threw the ball to first base a little off, but he caught it well.

Choi Ji-man contributed to Tampa Bay’s World Series runner-up last year. He hit a home run against the New York Yankees ace Garrett Cole, which garnered great attention. Tampa Bay offered Choi Ji-won an annual salary of $1.85 million, more than twice the annual salary of last year ($850,000). Only Choi requested 2.45 million dollars (about 2.8 billion won), and after going to the annual salary adjustment committee, only Choi came to pass. It shows the improved status of the team.

Tampa Bay traded the same left-handed first baseman Nate Law last winter to the Texas Rangers. Left-handed hitter Yoshitomo started practicing first base, but he was originally a third baseman and left fielder. When the opponent is the left-handed starter, right-hander Mike Brosona and Yandi Dias will play as the starting first baseman, but only Choi is expected when the right-handed starter. US local media predicted the opening roster of 26 and placed only the first base at the top.

The Eastern Division of the American League (AL), which Tampa Bay belongs to, is a battlefield. The New York Yankees, the strongest team in AL, are standing up, and the emerging champions Tampa Bay and Ryu Hyun-jin’s Toronto Blue Jays are in pursuit. The Yankees ranked second in the probability of advancement to the World Series of 30 clubs predicted by MLB.com. Toronto is 11th and Tampa Bay is 12th. Boston, which is rebuilding, was 20th, and the last candidate Detroit Tigers was 24th.

Reporter Kim Hyo-kyung [email protected]