Memorial Day Power Rankings (Week 9)

1) Samsung, record this week 5-1

Started the nice weather week off pounding SK led Kim Kwang-hyun (see above) 14-1 and losing just once in the rest of their games this week with their New Jersey Devils-esque 4 line balanced attack. Tied for second with Doosan now, this team will threaten your team for the rest of the season.

2) LG 4-2

A team that plays with little energy or strategy decided to have a half decent week. Got lucky and shut out Nexen last night 1-0. Keep eating spaghetti on game days and you might make the playoffs.

3) Kia 3-3

Kia's mediocrity parade keeps moving through the weeks rain, sun, tsunamis. Traded poundings Wednesday and Thursday against fellow good-enoughers LG (4-20 and 15-4), a bright spot is their pitching. Yang Hyun-jun's got 8 wins and is a better pitcher than Kim Kwan-hyun. And superstar reliever Yoo Dong-hun's been keeping things tidy with 8 saves and 2.35 ER's per average. SK and Doosan's closers have more saves, but let's be fair, those two teams are going places this season.

4) Lotte 3-3

Keeping their fans happy by winning a few. Who needs to do the extras like go on winning streaks or answer phone calls. Power hitting from the middle of their "waist line" will determine a playoff birth, not managing or pitching.

5) Hanhwa 3-3

A record like that is a winning week for the hard luck Hanhwa Eagles. Choi Jin-heng is the talk of the KBO with this league leading 14 home runs (actually tied with Lotte's Hong). Ryu Hyun-jin's the best pitcher in the KBO seemingly flirting with some kind of crazy pitching scene every start. Not too up on how teams are built in the KBO, but I'd say build some pitchers around Ryu and complement some of the more effective batters on this team and you should have a winner.

6) SK 2-4

Finally won a few in the last 2/3rds of their last series with Lotte. Exploded for 4 home runs last night but hit (at times well under) 300 in the rest of the games this week. And Kim Kwang-hyun is officially no longer a big deal. (5-2, 3.18).

7) Doosan 2-4

Samsung's caught you and it's all your fault. Hyun-soo's been having decent multi-hit games. Been inconsistent but who isn't in the KBO. Going to play Nexen and Hanhwa next. Make up some ground.

8) Nexen 2-4

Was a fan until they brought out the Pepsi throwbacks. Played pretty bad baseball all around this week but that's too be expected from this team. I'm a sucker for the underdogs and I'll still be rooting for this team unless they actually become contenders then they'll be made fun of, but that's just how the world works.

Happy Memorial Days!!!!!!

Simon