Korean Series, Game 6

SK 5, Doosan 2
SK wins the series 4 games to 2

For the last seven years SK fans have had to ask themselves the same question. "When?" When are we finally going to get the championship that has evaded us for seven long years? Are we cursed? The seven year championship draught that SK fans labored through is evidence enough that the team was somehow cursed. Everyone who has ever watched baseball knows that the only reason teams don't win championships is because of strange voodoo curses and not because of poor play and inept management. The most famous example, of course, is the Chicago Cubs. The ancient magicks have been working their vile mojo on the Cubs or almost 100 years with no end in sight. Cubs fans believe the only way to end the curse is to show up everyday and hope that the losing stops. Forget getting better players or running the franchise well. The best way to stop a curse is to keep watching. Wyverns fans were starting to wonder, "Will we suffer the same fate as the drunken buffoons in Chicago?" Will our favorite franchise become a punchline for generations of Koreans?

Until this offseason, there was little hope. Lee Man Soo was hired away from his duties as White Sox bullpen catcher and joined the Wyverns as a "bench coach." Bench coach is just code for "Curse Destroyer." Lee's warm smile and outgoing personality was the difference this year for SK. Without his happy face there is little doubt that the team ERA wouldn't have been anywhere near its league best 3.24.

After the final outs were recorded and the team celebrated, I swear the crowd was chanting "Reverse the Curse," in Korean. It might have sounded like "Chekang SK," but the feelings were clear. SK fans could finally lead normal lives. They could stop worrying about how they were going to fail and start thinking about how they can succeed. It truly is a great day to be Wyverns fan.

The hero: MVP, Kim Jae-Hyun. He was the man for SK throughout this series and he came up big again in the deciding game 6. His solo homerun in the third inning proved to be the winning run.

The goat: The Doosan offense. After winning the first two games, Doosan combined to score 3 runs over the next 4 games.

The game was over when: SK reliever Chung Dae-Hyun struck out Lee Jung-Wook for the final out. Lee represented the tying run and two runners were in scoring position.

Next game: In the spring, but check this blog frequently. I'm going to do team-by-team analysis, as well as covering any player movement and a few feature columns on team history. The hot stove will be roaring in a few weeks.

Korean Series, Games Four and Five

Game Four: SK 4, Doosan 0
Game Five: SK 4, Doosan 0
SK takes a 3-2 series lead

After watching Danny Rios dominate for 9 innings in game one, I assumed we'd be getting more of the same in Game 4. I couldn't have been more wrong. The normally unhittable Doosan ace was anything but on Thursday. He was pounded for 9 hits and 3 runs over 5 innings. Rios struggled through the first three innings before giving up back-to-back homers to Cho Dong-Hwa and Kim Jae-Hyun in the fourth.

19 year old rookie, Kim Kwang Hyun, looked more like the ace that Rios was supposed to be. Kim used a plus fastball and 12-6 curve to keep Doosan off the scoreboard for 7 2/3 innings. Kim had a no hitter through five. When it was all said and done, Kim finished with 9 punchouts while only allowing one hit.

In Game 5, the bullpen was the problem for Doosan. Doosan started foreign sensation Matt Randle and SK sent 17 game winner, Kenny Rayborn to the hill. They matched each other pitch for pitch and left the game in the hands of the bullpen after six scoreless innings each.

It wasn't until the 8th inning that things got interesting...

SK Outfielder, Cho Dong-Hwa, lead off the inning with an infield single and reached 2nd base on a Doosan error. Kim Jae-Hyun came up next and slapped a pitch off the right field wall for a triple, scoring the first run. SK cleanup hitter, Lee Ho-Jun, slugged a double to put the Wyverns up 2-0. Another double by pinch hitter, Kim Kang Min, made the game 3-0 and a wild pitch would score Kim to make the game 4-0.

Game 6 is Monday at 6pm, Korea time. Jae Byong-Yong(11-8, 2.84 ERA) takes the ball for SK, while Doosan reliever, Im Tae-Hun(7-3, 2.40 ERA, 20 holds) tries to force a game seven.

Korean Series, Game Three

SK 9, Doosan 1
Bears lead the series 2-1

Doosan and SK were battling more than each other last night. They also had to battle a torrential downpour. I've seen games canceled in Daegu for a couple drops, but last night the KBO chose to soldier on and endure the cold temperatures and driving rain all night. SK struck first, putting up 2 runs on a Kim Chae Yun double and a Park Jae Hong infield single.

The game fell apart in the 6th inning for Doosan. 3 errors in the inning helped SK to sustain a 7 run rally. Things also got a little chippy in the sixth when a Lee Hye Chun pitch found its way to Kim Chae Yun's buttocks. Benches cleared, some bad words and general shoving were exchanged, but cooler heads prevailed and only the Doosan pitcher was ejected.

The Hero: SK starter, Mike Romano. He held Doosan to only one run through six innings. He allowed only 5 runners to reach base. He had good command of all his pitches and never made any big mistakes.

The Goat: Doosan Shortstop, Lee Dae Soo. He committed 3 errors in the fifth inning, helping SK to score 7 runs and put the game out of reach. The rain didn't appear to be a factor. Lee's concentration did. He appeared to take his eye off the ball and the first thing we learn in little league is to always keep your eye on the ball. It was like watching the fat kid in gym class playing dodgeball. He's hoping and praying that the ball won't find its way to him, but it always seems to. The ball found Lee three times in the fifth and all three times he gave SK extra outs.

Goat Honorable mention: Doosan pitcher, Lee Hye Chun. After tossing a wild pitch to allow SK to score 2 more runs and take a 9 run lead, he decided to go headhunting. He plunked the next batter, Kim Chae Yun. Kim didn't appreciate the free base and some shouting and shoving insued. Lee got the gate.

The game was over when: Lee Dae Soo started flopping all over himself and tossing balls towards the fans. His three errors weren't really the difference, but it was still a one run game before the disastrous 6th inning.

The next game is Friday a 6pm. Danny Rios looks to give Doosan its 3rd win, while Kim Kwang Hyeon(3-7, 3.62 ERA in 77 innings) tries to even the series for SK.

Korean Series, Game 2

Doosan 6, SK 3
Doosan takes a 2-0 series lead

Doosan is a fun baseball team to watch right now. These grown men are playing like children. Every time they record three outs, everyone is standing up in the dugout giving high fives. Last night a Doosan player executed a perfect sac bunt to advance runners to 2nd and 3rd with one out. He sprinted back to the dugout to celebrate with his teammates. Every time a Doosan player hits a homerun, they bounce around like it was a walkoff. Its also starting to irritate the SK players.

There has been a total of five hit batsmen in the first two games. I'm not sure if its intentional or not, but it almost boiled over in the 6th inning when starter Chae Byong Yong forgot to tip his cap after plunking Kim Dong Joo. Also, Doosan first baseman, An Kyung Hyun left the game in the 2nd inning after being hit by a pitch. X-rays showed a broken hand and he'll be out for the rest of the series.

The hero: Doosan infielder, Lee Dae Soo. He only went 1-4, but his hit was a 2-run single that broke a 3-3 tie and put Doosan in the lead for good.

The goat: SK pitcher, Chae Byong Yong. Chae came undone after Kim Dong Joo approached the mound after being plunked in the 6th inning. Chae gave up Lee's 2 run single and an RBI double to Chae Song Byong.

Honorable mention for goat: goes to the Doosan front office for accusing SK of installing a camera in a "hole" to steal signs. The offending "hole" wound up being a drainage grate.

The game was over when: The SK outfield fell asleep and allowed a run to score on Chae Song Byong's double. A good throw and Lee Dae Soo would have been out by twenty feet. He scored without sliding.

The next game is set for 10/25 at 6pm. Kim Myung Jae(4-7, 5.05 ERA, 1 save) takes the mound for Doosan while Mike Romano(12-4, 3.69 ERA) is scheduled for SK.

Korean Series, Game 1

Doosan 2, SK 0
Doosan takes a 1-0 series lead

Danny Rios was the story last night. He kept SK off balance all night. He was an out machine. It felt like he could get a groundball or a lazy pop up whenever he wanted. During his complete game shutout, he surrendered only 4 hits while striking out only 2. I don't recall seeing a hard hit ball all night. Every inning was the same. 3 poor at bats and then Danny would be high fiving his teammates. What really struck me about Rios wasn't his stuff. It was his confidence. He had the look of a pitcher that knew he was going to keep the opposing team off the scoreboard all night.

SK starter, Kenny Rayburn, did his best to keep the game close, but he didn't get much help at the plate or in the field. Rayburn worked 6 strong innings, walking 4, striking out4, giving up 5 hits and allowing 2 runs, both earned.

SK looked like a team that hadn't thought about baseball in a month. Maybe the three week layoff affected them, maybe it didn't. Either way, they couldn't get anything going against Rios.

The hero: Danny Rios. He executed his game plan from the first inning to the ninth. We'll see him again in game 4.

The goat: Kenny Rayburn. Not so much for his performance, but for this. The strikezone on Monday appeared to be called both ways.

The game was over when: Danny Rios came out for the 9th. The only way SK would have had a chance is if Rios was taken out. He wasn't and he continued to get the same easy grounders and lazy popups that he got in the first.

Game two is tonight at 6pm. Matt Lander takes the hill for Doosan while Jae Byong Yong(11-8, 2.84 ERA) rumbles to the bump for SK.

First Time For Everything: Japan's Playoffs to Feature Two Korean Players

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Lee Seung-yeop of the Yomuiri Giants and Lee Byung-gyu of the Chunichi Dragons will be facing each other in Japan's version of a League Championship Series. This is the first time two Koreans have played against each other in Japan's playoffs.

The numbers on these guys are as follows.

Lee Seung Yeop: .273 BA, 541 AB's, 84 runs, 29 doubles, 30 HR, 74 RBI, .322 OBA, .501 SLG.
Lee Byung Gyu: .261 BA, 478 AB's, 43 runs, 23 doubles, 9 HR, 46 RBI, .295 OBA, .370 SLG

Lee Seung-yeop has been battling injuries all season. First, he hurt his thumb in June and his back has been bothering him to the point that he had to cancel a press conference for treatment this week. This is actually a down year for him.

On the other hand, Lee Byung-gyu has been battling the fact that he is not very good all season. I think this will continue to plague him in the playoffs.

Round 2, Game Three

Bears 6, Eagles 0
Doosan wins the series 3-0

This was by far the most watchable game of this series. It wasn't a ridiculous blowout. It wasn't a 4 1/2 hour marathon. It was actually a closely contested ballgame...four about 7 innings.

Doosan was able to take the crowd out of the game early. The Bears put up a three-spot in the first due to ineffective pitching and some miserable fielding. Ryu Hyun Jin got the start and didn't make it out of the 2nd inning. He labored through the first and got a quick hook in the 2nd. Gone was the ace that carved up the Samsung Lions for 6 2/3 innings in game one of round one. Ryu looked fatigued from the first pitch and his pitches didn't have the movement that they had in round one. He looked like he was out of gas, but that doesn't mean he deserved to be pulled in the 2nd inning. He was the victim of the players around him failing to record outs to get him out of the inning. Of the three runs he allowed, only one was earned.

The Hanwha manager called on Cedric Bowers. Bowers was what you might call effectively wild. He lasted 6 innings(throwing 114 pitches, so Korean managers can leave their guys in for more than five batters), but he was clearly out of gas when Doosan started to get to him.

The hero: Doosan leadoff man, Lee Chong Wook. He was the catalyst for an offense that scored 23 runs during the 3 game series. He went 6 for 11 during the series with 7 RBIs and 4 runs scored. Starting pitcher, Kim Myung Choi was suprisingly effective. Few balls were hit hard and everything seemed to find the glove of a Doosan fielder. He held the lead and got ahead on most batters. This was probably his finest start of the year. Final line, 6 2/3 innings, only 3 hits, 1 walk and 3 strikeouts. It was a Paul Byrd performance. He looks like he should be battered around, but before you knew it, it was the 7th inning and your team only had three hits.

The goat: The Hanwha catcher, Shin Kyong Hyun. Passed balls and wild pitches absolutely killed Hanwha in this series. The catcher cost them five runs in 3 games, that's just inexcusable.

Hanwha could book its team golf outing when: Ryu Hyun Jin struggled in the first inning. The crowd was taken out of the game for the first five innings and the advantage swung to Doosan. If not for some excellent relief work from Bowers, this game would have gotten out of hand quickly. Hanwha was able to keep all three games close, but had trouble getting and could never hold a lead.

The next game is on 10/19. For some reason, Hanwha is playing the Kia Tigers at 2pm on the 19th. Starting pitchers haven't been announced yet.

The Championship series starts on 10/22. Starting pitchers haven't been announced, but my guess is its Danny Rios going for Doosan and Kenny Rayburn for SK. Doosan! SK! Rios! Rayburn! The battle for the championship and the right to face Asia's best in November. Live on KBS!

Round 2, Game Two

Bears 9, Eagles 5
Doosan takes a 2-0 series lead

This game started around 6pm and ended around 10:30. It was an epic of Gaussian proportions. This was also the first game that featured a lead change. The previous 4 playoff games had one team taking control and keeping it for the entire game. This was only the 2nd game that you could say had a level of drama to it and it wound up being a 9-5 depantsing. Here's hoping Game 3 and the Championship series are more viewer friendly.

Wildest play of the night: in the 3rd inning, TWO runs were scored on a dropped 3rd strike. This highlight will probably be shown for the entire next season. THe ball got away from the Hanwha catcher. The play at home was reasonably close, but the throw from the catcher bounced in front of the pitcher and skipped away. The batter was able to round all the bases and make it home. He never stopped running. Hard. It was just a great heads up play.

Korean Playoff Fact: The team that makes the FEWEST pitching changes wins. For some reason, managers in the KBO like to play more matchups with their pitching staffs and have an exceptionally shorter hook with starters. This doesn't not lead to victory. So far, the team that makes the fewest changes is a perfect 5/5. This should seem obvious. The team that makes the fewest changes usually has better pitching and therefore a better chance to win the game. The problem is starters are getting yanked far too early and the bullpens are blowing up, not the starters. Typically, in American ball, if the starter gives up a couple early runs, no big deal. Managers usually stick with the starter for a few more innings, just to avoid burning through the bullpen. Well, in Korea, the rosters are a bit larger(Hanwha, for example, has 29 pitchers on its roster, but only 9 or 10 are active) allowing for more pitchers and a tendency for managers to tinker more.

The Hero: The top 1/3 of the Doosan batting order. Lee Chung Wook, Kim Hyun Su and Ko Yong Min combined to go 7 for 13 with 5 RBI, 2 runs sopred and two homeruns.

The Goat: The Hanwha manager. While Chong Min Chol wasn't great, he didn't deserve to get yanked in the 3rd. Had he stuck with his #2 starter for more than 2 1/3 innings, his bullpen might have performed better.

Hanwha could packs its bags for Daejon, down 2-0 when: The Hanwha bullpen coughed up 4 runs in the last 3 innings. It was a one run game and the bullpen couldn't keep Doosan off the scoreboard in a critical game.

Next game: October 17 at 6pm. The series moves from Seoul to Daejon. Ace Ryu Hyun Jin(17-7, 2.94 ERA) takes the mound for Hanwha, while Kim Myong Jae(4-7, 5.05 ERA) rumbles to the bump for Doosan in the possibly decisive Game Three. Hanwha! Doosan! Ryu! Kim! Catch the KBO on KBS!

Round 2, Game 1

Bears 8, Eagles 0
Doosan takes 1-0 series lead.

Doosan beat Hanwha in every facet of the game. Doosan pitched better, they hit better and they caught the ball better. Doosan ace, Danny Rios, was spectacular. He went 8 strong innings, only striking out one, but he kept the Hanwha batters off balance all day. It took Rios only 91 pitches to carve up Hanwha for 8 innings. He scattered 6 hits and allowed a walk, but was in complete control all game long.

Danny Rios is a 34 year old former Yankees and Royals farmhand. He had a few cups of coffee in the big leagues, but never anything that could be called a career. He is nearing the end of his finest season in pro ball with Doosan. Rios finished the year with a league best 22-5 record and a leagues best 2.07 ERA while averaging over 7 innings a start. Rios is a "power pitcher," but he doesn't post high strikeout totals("only" 147). He's been an out machine all year. He's essentially become the Korean version of Jon Garland, except more effective against Korean bats than Garland has been against American bats. He boasts a plus fastball with movement, but what makes him effective is his ability to change speeds to keep the hitters off balance here. There's some speculation that Rios might leave for Japan next year. I'm not sure how well he'd do there. As long as he can change speeds effectively on hitters, I think he could succeed anywhere.

Hanwha was able to keep the game close for a while. They were trailing only 2-0 in the 6th but in the 7th and 8th innings the floodgates opened. It was a hit parade in both innings. Doosan managed to score 8 runs without hitting a homerun. Doosan has the most patient lineup in the KBO. These guys are the Oakland A's of the KBO. They are very good at not making outs. The stand out was Lee Dae Su. He went 4-4 with a triple, a run scored and two RBIs.

The hero: Danny Rios. He was a buzzsaw.

The goat: The Hanwha bullpen. Hanwha did not spell relief on Sunday. It looked like they were throwing BP for the last 3 innings.

Hanwha could start planning for game two when: Doosan started slapping around the Hanwha bullpen. If this keeps up, it could be a short series.

Game two is Monday at 6pm Seoul time. Chong Min Chol(12-5, 2.90 ERA) takes the rubber for Hanwha and foreign ringer Matt Lander(12-8, 3.12 ERA) is scheduled for Doosan.

Round 1, Game 3

Eagles 5, Lions 3
Eagles win the series 2-1

This game was almost over before it started. Lions' starter, Brian Mazone, was chased from the game after only 2/3 of an inning. His final line was 3 hits, 1 walk and 2 earned runs. Everything over the plate was hit hard and every thing off the plate was ignored. Lions' manager, Sun Dong-Yol, took him out before the game was out of hand. The Eagles started Cedric Bowers, a pitcher who had been in and out of the starting rotation all season. He was about as effective as Mazone was, but Samsung was unable to inflict as much damage on the scoreboard as the Eagles could.

This game was your typical 4-hour Korean grindfest. You could fall asleep for an hour and not miss anything in this one. The two teams combined to use 12 pitchers. 8 of them used by Samsung. This game was slow and fairly dull for a playoff game. Play was stopped so much that there was never any flow to the game. It felt like a big, ugly mess, but it wasn't without its highlights.

Samsung had to battle all night to keep the game close. The same problems that plagued Samsung during the regular season came back to haunt them in the playoffs. The Lions are excellent at getting runners on 1st and 2nd with less than two outs, but terrible at actually plating them. Samsung did make a game out of it and even managed a great fake rally in the 9th. I had the feeling during this one that Samsung was always an inning away from the bullpen opening the floodgates. It never really flooded, but a pair of solo homers made the Lions more than a little soggy.

In the 6th inning, Hanwha turned to game one star, Ryu Hyon-Jin, to close the door on Samsung. After looking dominant in game one, he looked very mediocre in game three. He had trouble finding the plate and left a few pitches up in the zone. Samsung was more than willing to let him off the hook and he was able to escape with only allowing one run in 3 1/3 innings of work.

The hero: Lee Bum-Ho of Hanwha. He hit .556 in the series, including the nail-in-the-coffin homerun in game 3 off Oh Seung-Hwan.

The goat: Brian Mazone. He looked awful.

Hanwha could pack its bags for Seoul and Samsung could pack its bags for home when: Lee Bum-Ho hit his 7th inning homerun to put Hanwha up 4-2. It took all the air out of the Lions fans in attendance.

The playoffs head to Seoul where the rested and ready Doosan Bears will face the Hanwha Eagles in a best of 5 series. Game 1 is set for 10/14 at 2pm Korean time.

Round 1, Game 2

Lions 6, Eagles 0

Last night was essentially the exact opposite of game 1. The Lions bats came to life, homering twice and scoring a runner from second on a basehit for the first time in a week. 5 Lions pitchers combined to scatter 3 hits. The Eagles only had one runner reach 2nd base all night. I think it was more inept hitting than effective pitching, but what it really came down to was tat the Lions executed and the Eagles didn't.

The crowd was into the game before the first pitch was thrown. Hanwha fans came in from Daejon for what could have been the clinching game, but around 8:30 most had either left or were looking at their watches drying to decide if they should catch the 9:03 express train or wait for the 9:32. The Samsung fans came out in force as the cheering section was as loud and as large as I've ever seen it. The stadium was about 90% full. If I had to guess the size of the crowd, I'd say about 5500 people showed up.

The funniest moment of the night came when a group of young people advertising for a Korean baseball movie(The Scout, hitting theatres in Korea on 11/15) lost control of their banner in centerfield. These guys were about as uncoordinated as possible when it came to waving their massive banner. The also had different number claps. Every time their Fearless Leader would call for a different clap, that's exactly what happened. Everyone would clap differently. Su-Jin summed it up best, "I think these guys need practice."

Keys to the game: Samsung kept Hanwha's big bats in check for most of the game. Jacob Cruz and Kim Tae Gyun were a combined 1-6 with two walks. If these two aren't driving in runs, usually doesn't do much.

This game wasn't without questionable managing from Samsung. For example, removing an effective Chon Byung Ho after only three innings, replacing a pitcher in the middle of an at bat(while he was ahead in the count) and allowing ace closer Oh Seung Hwan to work the 9th of a blowout. Fans shouldn't complain after a 6-0 victory, but I was really scratching my head at some of the decisions made.

Game 3 is in Daejon on Friday. One team goes on, the other goes home. Hanwha! Samsung! Cruz! Yong! Tomorrow on MBC! KBO fever! Catch it.

Game 1 of the 2007 Playoffs!

Welcome to the Korean baseball blog!

What better time than the playoffs to get this rolling.

For the past six months, 8 teams have battled to gain one of the 4 playoff births. Now, it’s time for Korea’s second season to begin! Hanwha! Samsung! Ryu! Yong! Tonight on MBC!

Okay, a quick primer for those of you new to Korean Baseball, here’s how the playoff system works. The top four teams in an 8 team league go. The 3 and 4 seeds play a 3 game series for the right to play the second place team in a best of 5. The winner of the second series plays the top seed in a 7 game series for the championship. The Samsung Lions are the two time defending champs. This year, they limped to the finish and barely made the playoffs as the 4 seed. Hanwha bounced around the league standing all year before a strong final month earned them the 3 seed.There is legit bad blood between Samsung and Hanwha. It’s spilling over from last season’s playoffs which featured a fairly intense series that almost boiled over when some pitches missed the catcher’s glove and hit batters.

This game features not one, but two pregame hype shows. Normally, we’re lucky to get lineups before the first pitch, but today we get actual pregame. The two managers held a joint press conference to smooth over any hard feelings from last year. It’s about 50 steps away from Creed/Drago at the beginning of Rocky 4.

The Hanwha manager is sitting in the dugout wearing John Lennon glasses. His goal is to set the international record for most ridiculous glasses worn by a manager in a playoff setting. The current record holder is Tony La Russa.

The pitching matchup for tonight is Hanwha’s Ryu Hyon Jin vs. Samsung’s “Downtown” Jamie Brown. Ryu is probably the best young pitcher in the KBO. He’s got a devastating circle-change that he uses as his out pitch. He also mixes in an above average fastball and breaking stuff that’s above league average. Brown is your typical foreign journeyman. He won’t overpower any big leaguers any time soon, but his stuff gets by in the KBO. Ryu was 18-7 in 30 starts with a 2.94 ERA and 178 K’s in 211 innings. Brown ended the regular season with a respectable 12-8 record with a 3.33 ERA and 68 K’s in 162 innings.

5:59- Natonal Anthem along with a shot of a guy singing while wearing a bright orange Hanwha jersey on top of a long-sleeve plaid shirt. Yikes.

6:03- Samsung leadoff man Shin Myung-Chal takes the first pitch for a ball before grounding out weakly. One down.

6:05-Park Han-Yi gets a seeing-eye single for the first hit. You can officially cancel the postgame show.

6:07-A misplayed pop fly in right field puts runners on first and second with one out. The right fielder is mediocre slugger Jacob Cruz and the second baseman is a Korean guy. I’m guessing Jacob didn’t have time to find “I’ve got it” in his pocket dictionary.

6:09-DH Shim Jung Su steps in against Ryu. We’ve got a pitcher with wild hair facing off against a power hitter with glasses. It’s an 80’s baseball challenge! Shim is caught swinging at the circle change.

6:13-Shot of the crowd looking unimpressed, then realizing they’re on TV and half-heartedly banging their stix together. Come on Hanwha! This is October baseball!

6:15-Strikeout #2 looked a lot like Strikeout #1. Swinging at the change.

6:20- A video montage of Samsung left fielder, Yong Jun-Hyuk almost killing himself trying to catch baseballs at the warning track. Yong is a very good ballplayer, he’s finishing his 16th season with Samsung. He also collected his 2,000 hit and holds most of the career hitting records for Samsung, but that doesn’t make him a solid left fielder. When the ball goes out to left, it’s an adventure.

6:21- Foreigner Battle! Jacob Cruz vs. Jamie Brown. Cruz is caught staring at strike three.

6:25 – Great catch at the wall robs Samsung of a double. He caught the ball, then he caught the wall, rolled around for a minute. Stood up, waved to the fans and was followed back to his position by cheers. It’s a Joe Pepitone special or for younger readers, it’s a “Derek Jeter.”

6:33 – K #3 for Ryu, swinging at the change.6:34 – K #4, again swinging.

6:39 – 1st hit for Hanwha, a RINGING double by Lee Bum Ho.

6:44 – Hanwha draws first blood on a line drive single. 1-0, Eagles. Jamie Brown looks like he’s two steps away from a “Gonna be here a while” moment.

6:47 – I would comment on the commercials, but this is Asia. Just assume that all commercials either feature a giant squid, a boy band or a woman that is SHOCKED that a product she purchased actually worked.

6:56 – Samsung managed another hit, but failed to score. This inning featured 38 year old left fielder, Yong Jun Hyuk busting his ass to attempt to beat a throw. He didn’t make it, but it’s nice to see a vet like Yong, in a league like this that still cares. He was maybe four levels away from Tom Berenger at the end of Major League.

7:02 – Foreigner Battle #2 – This time Brown gets Cruz to ground out to end the 3rd.

7:09 – K #5 for Ryu. This time staring at the fastball.

7:10 – Kim Jae Gol at the plate. He is quite possibly the worst athlete in the history of sports to have his named chanted at a sporting event. He plays the field well enough, but his bat is painfully anemic. In 11 years in the KBO, he has hit exactly 12 homeruns while batting a robust .231. His career slugging percentage is only two points higher than his career OBA. Sitting at .297 and .295 respectively.

Korean names are awesome for chanting. “Kim Jae Gol! Kim Jae Gol! Kim Jae Gol!” If his name were say, oh, Andy Gonzalez, it wouldn’t have quite the same impact.http://www.baseball-reference.com/g/gonzaan01.shtml

7:13 – Kim Tae Gyun leads off the inning with a blast into left-center. 2-0 Hanwha. Brown doesn’t seem at all surprised by any of this. He’s a got a “Yeah, pretty much” face going on right now.

7:16 – Double barrel action in the Lions bullpen. It’s the 4th inning! Not exactly a leap of faith from the Samsung manager.

7:19 – Controversy! A 3rd strike is ruled a foul ball! The Samsung manager is too stunned to move. He looks like someone just told him the restaurant was out of kimchi. It doesn’t matter anyway.

7:26 – The Lions go down quietly in the 5th inning. Yong Jun Hyuk is determined to hit a two-run homerun with no one on base.

7:30 – Leadoff double for Hanwha followed by a perfect bunt. Runner on 3rd with one out.

7:31 – A shot of two salarymen with Hanwha banners is shown. The funny part? The banners are upside down.

7:32 – 2 strikes on Ko Dong Jin, the Hanwha center fielder and leadoff man. Samsung is almost out of this jam. Spoke too soon. Sac fly to deep center. 3-0 Hanwha.

7:42 – 80’s Challenge round 2: Full count…..oooooh. Ball Four. Take your base. Shim’s glasses saw through the sideburns of Ryu and advance to first.

7:45 – 1st and 2nd with no one out. Ryu looks like he’s running out of gas. His pitching coach raves like my friend, Jason during a Sox game. “Here’s the pop up to the 2nd baseman,” followed by an eye-roll when he actually does it. Lots of hand waving and thigh slapping.

7:47 – Sacks packed with Lions. Ryu doesn’t look all that wobbly, I get the feeling he’s getting out of this…

7:51 – Lazy fly ball to right. One down. The pitching coach is now using the, “Blank Stare of Doom.” I think if Ryu gives up a hit, this guy will throw punches. Everyone in the dugout has moved at least twenty feet away from him. I can just imagine the conversation, “We better get some Pocari(Gatorade). He gets like this some times, time to be shufflin’ down the road.”

7:53 – 3-1 count. Foul Ball. 3-2. Swings at the change. K #7 for Ryu. He’s got a lot of composure for a guy who just turned 21. Then again, these guys aren’t exactly the ’07 Tigers or for that matter the ’03 Tigers.

7:57 – 2-2 pitch. Ball three….and the batter stares at strike 3. He was praying for a walk. “Please, please, please. Let it bounce in the dirt, let the ump blow the call, just please don’t put it near the plate…..damn.”

8:02 – Foreigner battle #3. Cruz wins this time with a line drive basehit.

8:08 – Turn out the lights. 2 run bomb for Hanwha to make it a 5-0 deficit. You can close the book on Brown. He deserved better.

8:15 – To the surprise of me, Ryu is out for the 7th. He’s over 100 pitches, labored through the last inning and Hanwha has a 5-0 lead, but let’s send the kid out for another. They must have zero faith in their bullpen.

8:18 – Ryu goes through them like a hungry Korean businessman through cigarettes. K #8.

8:20 – Base hit for Samsung. Fake rally time! That’s all for Ryu. Final #’s, 6.2 innings, 8 k’s, 0 runs. He was the difference tonight for Hanwha.

8:34 – Shot of Ryu in the dugout. He appears to be wearing a terry cloth t-shirt and attempting to smile while the insane pitching coach is critiquing his performance. “Yes, coach. Yes, coach. Ah, I see coach.” Meanwhile, he’s thinking, “Man, I hope he finishes before the nightclubs close.”

8:48 – One, two, three inning for Hanwha. On to the top of the 9th. It’s last gasp time for Samsung.

8:54 – 1-2-3. No balls left the infield. A Hanwha win and a commanding 1-0 series lead. On to Daegu for Game 2. Hopefully I’ll be in attendance and able to offer a full recap.