The fans showed more grace in defeat than the players did.
Because "pouting" is not an effective strategy for scoring runs.
The KT "covers" last night's action. I expected just a photo with the words, "Team wins game," underneath.
While Aaron at the EWC gives last night's game a worthy write up. I wonder if the KT staff uses sports writing as a form of punishment? Like teachers use sticks. Only less painful.
The Joongang Daily doesn't have a write up for the championship yet, but they do have this article about Tomatoes curing cancer. Enjoy!
SK 2, Doosan 0
W - Kim Kwang-hyeon, L - Kim Sun-woo, S - Chae Byeong-yong
SK wins the series, 4-1
What I'll remember most about this game was the defense played by SK. These boys were throwin' some leather last night. The few times SK's pitchers got in trouble the D was there to bail them out with a circus catch or a clutch double play. The SK D put the team on its shoulders last night. Kim Kwang-hyeon wasn't nearly as good as his line suggested. Kim tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings(96 pitches, 52 strikes). He allowed 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3. He was good, but he wasn't ace good. He got a lot more help from the 8 guys playing behind him than I ever remember seeing. Doosan's Kim Sun-woo was the tough luck loser. Sun-woo had his best start in weeks and got an "L" to show for it. Kim lasted 6 2/3 innings(112 pitches, 66 strikes). He allowed 1 run on 2 hits and 3 walks. He added 4 K's and 2 hit batsmen.
The game was scoreless for the first 6 innings. Doosan's best chance to score came in the first and second innings. In both innings Doosan had runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs and failed to score. SK barely threatened until Kim Sun-woo started to tire in the 7th inning.
In the 7th, SK's Kim Jae-hyeon lead off with a walk. With one out, a Kim Sun-woo pitch was a little too far in and hit Choi Jeong on the elbow. SK had runners on first and second with one out. With a Na Ju-hwan at the plate and a 1-1 count, Kim threw a 58 ft. curveball that got away from Doosan catcher, Choi Seung-hwan. Both runners advanced. Then, with a 2-2 count on Na, Kim drilled him with a fastball to load the bases. The next batter, Jeong Geun-woo, hit a lazy fly ball to shallow left. The runner on third was unable to score. With two outs and the sacks packed, Park Kyeong-wan hit a sharp grounder to third. Doosan third baseman, Kim Dong-ju, was unable to find the handle on the ball and booted it. Kim attempted a bare hand, but couldn't find the handle there either. Kim Jae-hyeon was able to sprint across the plate for SK's first run.
SK added to its lead in the 8th inning. With two outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, SK's Choi Jeong swatted a single to left-center to drive in SK's 2nd run.
The SK bullpen would make things exciting in the late innings. In the bottom of the 8th, Lee Seung-ho struck out Yoo Jae-wong with runners on 1st and 3rd to end the threat. In the 9th inning, Lee Seung-ho stayed in and allowed a lead off walk. SK brought in Chae Byeong-yong to end the series. The first batter Chae faced, Kim Jae-ho, reached on an infield single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Doosan's Lee Jong-wook was next. He poked a single through SK's left side to load the bases with no outs. The next batter, Jeong Won-seok, hit a comebacker to Chae. Chae went home with it. He made the right decision. Not only did he get the force out at the plate, but he kept the double play in order. Kim Hyeon-su was up next. Kim was sporting a series line of 1-The Korean Series. He had one hit. The batting champ was sporting a batting average in the low 30's. This was Kim's big chance at redemption. He blew it. He it a sharp grounder back to Chae. Chae went home for the 2nd out and SK's catcher threw it down to first to end the game and the series.
Go crazy Incheon.
My pick for season MVP, ladies and gentlemen! To be fair, he had a brutal series and I'm sure the series ending double play must have really hurt. I really just hope we don't find him hanging in his closet in the next few weeks. Either way, baseball = no crying. I've hit into plenty of double plays and I distinctly remember a game ending strikeout that really stung in my first year of little league, but I never cried. If I had Kim Hyeon su's talent I definitely wouldn't be crying. I'd be driving all over Seoul with my batting title trophy as the hood ornament on my Mercedes. Kim, grow up. There are worse things in life than having a bad series.
Next up is the Asian Series. It starts sometime after Japan crowns its champion. I'm a little worried about SK's chances. If they win, it means they'll have won 8 consecutive ball games. That's a tall order considering they're probably going to play the Japanese champions twice. I am looking forward to seeing the Chinese team. This year the CPBL is sending one of its clubs instead of an "all-star" team. I think winning a game is too lofty a goal. The Tianjin Lions will probably have to stick with "Not getting embarrassed," as their goal.
While Aaron at the EWC gives last night's game a worthy write up. I wonder if the KT staff uses sports writing as a form of punishment? Like teachers use sticks. Only less painful.
The Joongang Daily doesn't have a write up for the championship yet, but they do have this article about Tomatoes curing cancer. Enjoy!
SK 2, Doosan 0
W - Kim Kwang-hyeon, L - Kim Sun-woo, S - Chae Byeong-yong
SK wins the series, 4-1
What I'll remember most about this game was the defense played by SK. These boys were throwin' some leather last night. The few times SK's pitchers got in trouble the D was there to bail them out with a circus catch or a clutch double play. The SK D put the team on its shoulders last night. Kim Kwang-hyeon wasn't nearly as good as his line suggested. Kim tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings(96 pitches, 52 strikes). He allowed 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 3. He was good, but he wasn't ace good. He got a lot more help from the 8 guys playing behind him than I ever remember seeing. Doosan's Kim Sun-woo was the tough luck loser. Sun-woo had his best start in weeks and got an "L" to show for it. Kim lasted 6 2/3 innings(112 pitches, 66 strikes). He allowed 1 run on 2 hits and 3 walks. He added 4 K's and 2 hit batsmen.
The game was scoreless for the first 6 innings. Doosan's best chance to score came in the first and second innings. In both innings Doosan had runners in scoring position with less than 2 outs and failed to score. SK barely threatened until Kim Sun-woo started to tire in the 7th inning.
In the 7th, SK's Kim Jae-hyeon lead off with a walk. With one out, a Kim Sun-woo pitch was a little too far in and hit Choi Jeong on the elbow. SK had runners on first and second with one out. With a Na Ju-hwan at the plate and a 1-1 count, Kim threw a 58 ft. curveball that got away from Doosan catcher, Choi Seung-hwan. Both runners advanced. Then, with a 2-2 count on Na, Kim drilled him with a fastball to load the bases. The next batter, Jeong Geun-woo, hit a lazy fly ball to shallow left. The runner on third was unable to score. With two outs and the sacks packed, Park Kyeong-wan hit a sharp grounder to third. Doosan third baseman, Kim Dong-ju, was unable to find the handle on the ball and booted it. Kim attempted a bare hand, but couldn't find the handle there either. Kim Jae-hyeon was able to sprint across the plate for SK's first run.
SK added to its lead in the 8th inning. With two outs and runners on 1st and 2nd, SK's Choi Jeong swatted a single to left-center to drive in SK's 2nd run.
The SK bullpen would make things exciting in the late innings. In the bottom of the 8th, Lee Seung-ho struck out Yoo Jae-wong with runners on 1st and 3rd to end the threat. In the 9th inning, Lee Seung-ho stayed in and allowed a lead off walk. SK brought in Chae Byeong-yong to end the series. The first batter Chae faced, Kim Jae-ho, reached on an infield single to put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Doosan's Lee Jong-wook was next. He poked a single through SK's left side to load the bases with no outs. The next batter, Jeong Won-seok, hit a comebacker to Chae. Chae went home with it. He made the right decision. Not only did he get the force out at the plate, but he kept the double play in order. Kim Hyeon-su was up next. Kim was sporting a series line of 1-The Korean Series. He had one hit. The batting champ was sporting a batting average in the low 30's. This was Kim's big chance at redemption. He blew it. He it a sharp grounder back to Chae. Chae went home for the 2nd out and SK's catcher threw it down to first to end the game and the series.
Go crazy Incheon.
My pick for season MVP, ladies and gentlemen! To be fair, he had a brutal series and I'm sure the series ending double play must have really hurt. I really just hope we don't find him hanging in his closet in the next few weeks. Either way, baseball = no crying. I've hit into plenty of double plays and I distinctly remember a game ending strikeout that really stung in my first year of little league, but I never cried. If I had Kim Hyeon su's talent I definitely wouldn't be crying. I'd be driving all over Seoul with my batting title trophy as the hood ornament on my Mercedes. Kim, grow up. There are worse things in life than having a bad series.
Next up is the Asian Series. It starts sometime after Japan crowns its champion. I'm a little worried about SK's chances. If they win, it means they'll have won 8 consecutive ball games. That's a tall order considering they're probably going to play the Japanese champions twice. I am looking forward to seeing the Chinese team. This year the CPBL is sending one of its clubs instead of an "all-star" team. I think winning a game is too lofty a goal. The Tianjin Lions will probably have to stick with "Not getting embarrassed," as their goal.
1 comment:
I was in Seoul yesterday and was invited to watch this game at the stadium by someone who worked in one of the SK group companies. What an experience! Korean baseball fans having amazing energy and enthusiasm. The game was incredibly exciting as well - bases fully loaded and nobody out in the bottom of the 9th. Whoda thunk it would end the way it did.
Post a Comment