Half-Korean big leaguer Tommy Edman eager to showcase versatility in WBC debut

• Published date: 01 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

St. Louis Cardinals star Tommy Edman will make his World Baseball Classic (WBC) debut next week for Korea, the country of his mother's birth, an opportunity he calls "a huge blessing and honor."

After landing in Korea early Wednesday, Edman said the WBC will also be an opportunity to show baseball fans outside the United States what his game is all about.

"That's the great thing about the World Baseball Classic. It's an opportunity for everyone around the world to watch baseball and for baseball to be kind of exposed to a lot more countries," Edman told reporters at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul.

"So hopefully, a lot of people around the world will get to see myself and Team Korea play who haven't seen us before. And I think it'll just be a great opportunity to show how versatile I am on the field, with defense and baserunning and hitting. Hopefully, just bring a lot of energy to the team and be an exciting player just like I know a lot of the Korean players already are," he said.

Edman, a Michigan native, is the first half-Korean player to compete on the national baseball team. Under the WBC's loose set of eligibility rules, players are allowed to represent a country of one of their parents' birth, even if they themselves aren't from that country.

Korea reached out to a few other U.S.-born major leaguers of Korean descent, but due to personal and health reasons, Edman was the only one available for the March tournament.

He will bring plenty to the table for Korea. Edman won the National League (NL) Gold Glove at second base in 2021 and was a finalist in the position last year too. He has stolen 62 bases the past two years, more than any other player in the NL.

He and San Diego Padres shortstop Kim Ha-seong, a Gold Glove finalist at shortstop last year, are the only two Major League Baseball (MLB) players for South Korea. They will form one of the best defensive double play combos at the WBC.

"I'm really excited to play with Ha-seong after seeing him play with the Padres the past couple of years," Edman said. "He's such a good player, and I'm really excited to learn from him and just bounce some ideas off of each other and play up the middle with him."

As the only switch hitter for Korea, Edman is expected to bat at or near the top of the lineup.

"I'm not sure where I'll be hitting in the lineup yet but hopefully, I get to hit at the top where I can get on base for those big homerun hitters in the middle of the lineup," Edman said. "I'm just hoping...