Karim Garcia lets one rip.
The week of June 28 to July 3 was a better week than the week before it in terms of games being not rained out. 16 of the 24 games were played. If the KBO had a batting average it would have gone 0.667.
1. Kia Tigers
6 games played, 4 wins, 2 losses, last week's opponents: Lotte, Hanhwa
Kia had a solid week seemingly oblivious to the rain-outs of the rest of the league. Their 2 series were both series wins. This team has the best starting rotation in the Organization and their offense is also not too shabby currently leading the all comers with 62 home runs, .281 BA as a team, 685 hits, 122 doubles, and 314 drawn walks. Their 42 wins is also the best in the league but Kia sits second to Samsung due to winning percentage.
2. Doosan Bears
3 games played, 3 wins, 0 losses, last week's opponents: Nexen, LG
We seem to have written off Doosan as a failure for the season but this team has been quietly getting back into the realm of respectability in recent series of games. Bears are now at 5th place and with 4th place LG losing all their games for the week and the Bears winning all of theirs, Doosan is currently sitting only 3.5 games back of LG and ready to make that mid season push. A playoff race between these two Jamsil teams will be very entertaining.
3. Samsung Lions
3 games played 2 wins, 1 loss, last week's opponents: LG, Lotte
This is a very well managed team that does not buckle. Their 2 wins were both come from behind W's in extras. Lions have a lot of good hitters led by outfielder Choi Hyung-woo. Their offense spreads the wealth and takes turns hitting and running. Samsung is a speedy team leading the league in stolen bases with 78. The immediate future involves a series against SK and a series against Doosan. SK has been struggling but they are still SK. And Doosan has been winning. This will be an interesting week for this team.
4. Lotte Giants
4 games played, 2 wins, 2 losses, last week's opponents: Kia, Samsung
5 games out of a playoff spot, mathematically still in it for the playoffs in 2011. But most are writing off this team for this season. Lotte fans are pretty displeased with new for the year manager Yang Seung-ho and calling him to be canned. There's a Facebook page with 153 members joined organizing a boycott of Lotte's July 26 to 28 SK series to protest against "Director Yang." It's a good thing professional sports teams are run by professional people and not by emotional fans. Because Lotte's problem is their pitching with only Jang Won-joon (8-2, 3.34) being effective. There's talk of Bryan Corey being dismissed and a new foreign arm being brought in.
5. Hanhwa Eagles
5 games played, 3 wins, 2 losses, last week's opponents: SK, Kia
Hanhwa is currently cruising helped quite a bit by Karim Garcia's golden bat. Garcia only joined the league 17 games ago and he already has 6 home runs, many of them clutch. Ryu Hyun-jin is a guaranteed win every time he starts but Oneli Perez is also putting together an effective season currently pitching with a 4-1 record and 24 K's after 29.1 innings pitched. I really like the Eagles' aggression this season in terms acquiring players that will win. Karim Garcia was definitely worth the risk and new righty Denny Bautista can hopefully work out well as well. Bautista owns a passable career record in the majors (11-15, 5.88).
6. Nexen Heroes
3 games played, 2 wins, 1 loss, last week's opponents: Doosan, SK
Beneficiary of a series against a slumping SK, still a long way to climb from their last place, 14 and a half games back hole.
7. LG Twins
3 games played, 0 wins, 3 losses, last week's opponents: Samsung, Doosan
Endanger of losing playoff positioning after a lot of talk of a contending season. Seoul rival Doosan Bears will be on them like a stalker for the rest of the season.
8. SK Wyverns
4 games played, 0 wins, 4 losses, last week's opponents: Hanhwa, Nexen (!!!!!!!!!)
Defending champs go winless and fall to last placers Hanhwa and Nexen. Tough week ahead as Samsung and Lotte have better records and would love to kick their post season tormentors when SK is down.
HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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