Lee Seung-yeop meets 2009 KBO MVP Kim Sang-hyeon. "You guys won the Korean Series? Seriously? No effing way."
What, exactly, is it going to take for Korea to win one of these effing club championships? It's gotten increasingly more frustrating the longer I live in Korea.
The best news that came out of this weekend was that next year the 4-club Asian Series should return! I really dug the Asian Series and thought that it made for a fun weekend, even if it was promoted terribly. Supposedly, next year's tourney will take place in Taiwan. I'm all for Japan not getting home field advantage for one of these tournaments. They've had home field advantage for both WBCs and all of the Asian Series. Enough is enough. Hopefully, the KBO will finally get funding for a dome or two and be able to host an Asian Series in November or a WBC in March.
On to a quick recap...
HT to the Japan Times for a much better recap than the Korea Times offered. Hey, if the English language press in Korea were remotely competent, I wouldn't need to blog.
Yang Hyeong-jong about to unload on an unsuspecting Japanese hitter. Just because he wears glasses doesn't mean he sucks.
KIA actually held a 3-1 lead heading into the 7th, but the KIA bullpen collapsed and surrendered 7 runs(!) to the Giants. Yang Hyeon-jong got the start for KIA and looked solid. Yang threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Yang gave up only 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 6 before he was lifted. Relievers Kwak Jeong-cheol and Jeong Yong-woon allowed all the damage during the 7th inning. I guess KIA forgot to bring their bullpen on the trip. We couldn't bring in Yoon Seok-min for a batter or two? Yoo Dong-hoon was unavailable? What better way to send SK another great big "EFF YOU" than to succeed where they failed? Whatever. At least the game was over before 5 o'clock.
KIA broke through in the 1st inning on an RBI single from DH Na Ji-wan. KIA added 2 more in the 5th inning on a Na Ji-wan single with the bases loaded. KIA fake rallied their way to a 4th run in the 9th inning on a Lee Hyeon-gon RBI double. Hopefully, the Tigers got to do some sightseeing and/or buy some presents for the kids back home. I guess Na was the only guy that didn't spend all night at a karaoke bar.
The best news that came out of this weekend was that next year the 4-club Asian Series should return! I really dug the Asian Series and thought that it made for a fun weekend, even if it was promoted terribly. Supposedly, next year's tourney will take place in Taiwan. I'm all for Japan not getting home field advantage for one of these tournaments. They've had home field advantage for both WBCs and all of the Asian Series. Enough is enough. Hopefully, the KBO will finally get funding for a dome or two and be able to host an Asian Series in November or a WBC in March.
On to a quick recap...
HT to the Japan Times for a much better recap than the Korea Times offered. Hey, if the English language press in Korea were remotely competent, I wouldn't need to blog.
Yang Hyeong-jong about to unload on an unsuspecting Japanese hitter. Just because he wears glasses doesn't mean he sucks.
KIA actually held a 3-1 lead heading into the 7th, but the KIA bullpen collapsed and surrendered 7 runs(!) to the Giants. Yang Hyeon-jong got the start for KIA and looked solid. Yang threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Yang gave up only 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 6 before he was lifted. Relievers Kwak Jeong-cheol and Jeong Yong-woon allowed all the damage during the 7th inning. I guess KIA forgot to bring their bullpen on the trip. We couldn't bring in Yoon Seok-min for a batter or two? Yoo Dong-hoon was unavailable? What better way to send SK another great big "EFF YOU" than to succeed where they failed? Whatever. At least the game was over before 5 o'clock.
KIA broke through in the 1st inning on an RBI single from DH Na Ji-wan. KIA added 2 more in the 5th inning on a Na Ji-wan single with the bases loaded. KIA fake rallied their way to a 4th run in the 9th inning on a Lee Hyeon-gon RBI double. Hopefully, the Tigers got to do some sightseeing and/or buy some presents for the kids back home. I guess Na was the only guy that didn't spend all night at a karaoke bar.
2 comments:
I'm guessing Lopez and Rick Guttormson weren't on hand for the big event. The Giants foreigners were there, but I don't see Kia having the sway to make those guys hang out for 2 weeks while waiting for this piece of crap.
I'm "betting" Taiwan will make a good showing next year.
Well, if I were to count all the games this year that went exactly this way for the Tigers, I'd run out of fingers and toes. The Kia starting staff was great all year and the bullpen was weak. The coach, Jo Beom Hyeon never gave up on the dismal bullpen but he sure did give up on the starters fast. Only Lopez was allowed to pitch past 7 innings. And Jo made a complete mess of Yoon Suk Min's year using him as a save man for a while. He did this as punishment for several games he lost because the bullpen or the defence blew leads for him. Yoon really should have been the starting pitcher. Yang was very good this year for Kia but he got run support and coach support.
I'm happy for Na Ji Weon though. Just look at the guy! He's so awkward and funny looking you gotta love him!
That four-team series sounds like it'd be fun too! Korea, Japan, Taiwan and China? Then the winner of that plays the winner of the World Series? That'd be sweet.
By the way I have seen plans for a dome stadium in Gwangju. I sure hope that happens soon. Moodeung Stadium was the site of the All Star Game this year and even the Korean players complained about it. I'm sure they could throw something up on the Kia car compound if the New York Yankees agreed to come to town for a seven game Universe Series. But I don't think that's in the works.
Post a Comment