By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Former U.S. Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Felix Jose of the Dominican Republic remained a hero to exuberant Lotte Giants fans.
Even after the outfielder was released after performing poorly in only 23 games last season, those who followed the Busan-based club still appreciated him for his contributions to the team.
Jose, now 42 years old, notched 95 home runs, 314 RBIs and 312 Walks with a batting average of .309 and slugging percentage of .586 during three-plus seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
However, it now appears the Giants have found a suitable replacement for him with another former big leaguer, Karim Garcia, who has been swinging a red-hot bat.
Garcia's hitting has helped the Giants, who finished last in the league four times since 2000, start this season with a 4-0 record, putting them in a tie for the lead in the standings as of Tuesday.
The Mexican player, nicknamed ``The Latino Bambino,'' has already registered five hits, including two homers and six RBIs, while hitting .357 with a slugging percentage of .857.
Garcia made his big league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 2, 1995, when he was 19 years old. But during his three-year stint in Los Angeles, he did not live up to expectations.
After that, he played for eight more teams, including the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.
In his 10-year MLB career, he recorded 66 home runs and 212 RBIs with a .241 batting average in 488 games.
The outfielder also played in the Japanese league with the Orix Buffaloes from 2005-2006.
What's separated Garcia from most players is his ability to spray hits to different areas of the park. Among his five hits this season, he produced two hits apiece to the right and left sides of the field, while one up the middle.
In Wednesday's game against the defending champion SK Wyverns, the lefty-swinging Garcia drove Song Eun-beom's 2-0 pitch over the left-field fence. He also hit a homer off Song Jin-woo of the Hanwha Eagles to the left-field seats on Sunday.
With Garcia batting fifth in the batting order, which was plagued by a lack of a power hitter, Giants cleanup hitter Lee Dae-ho, who combined for 55 homers the last two years, should get better pitches to hit and an opportunity to put up better statistics.
Garcia said to media that Jose posted good marks in the Korean league, but now ``Garcia Time'' has arrived.