By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Doosan Bears pitcher Daniel Rios of the United States is cruising to make the first 20-game winner by a foreigner in the Korea Baseball Organization.
The right-hander, 34, pitched a two-hitter in seven scoreless innings to pick up his 10th victory of the season in a 9-3 win over his former team Kia Tigers last Sunday.
With Sunday’s win, he became the sixth hurler to have double-digit wins for six consecutive years.
Rios, who had recorded only one loss with a 9.31 ERA with the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals in the U.S. Major Leagues, joined the league in 2002 with the Tigers and was traded to the Bears in 2005.
The other five pitchers are Hyundai Unicorns manger Kim Si-jin (1983-88), Samsung Lions manager Sun Dong-yol (1986-91), Kia Tigers pitching coach Lee Kang-chul (1989-98), Hanwha Eagles pitcher Jung Min-chul (1992-99) and Unicorns pitcher Chung Min-tae (1996-2000).
Given that his 10th win was accomplished 20 days or so before the All-Star break, the prospect of 20-game winning after eight years is getting brighter.
The Korean baseball league has not produced a 20-game winner since 1999 when Chung Min-tae achieved the feat.
The most wins by an imported player is 19 set by former Kia Tigers pitcher Mark Kipper in 2002.
Rios won 17 times in the league together with Bae Young-soo of the Lions and Gary Rath of the Bears in 2004.
Rios is known as the best innings eater after surprisingly pitching more than 200 innings for third straight year.
In his 15 outings of the season, he already threw 110 2/3 innings _ 7 1/3 innings per game _ to have three complete games including two shutouts with a 1.63 ERA and he also had a quality start _ less than three runs in six innings _ 12 times.
Along with his endurance, his mid-140 kph fastball and sharp slider and change-up also make him one of the best successful foreign players in the history of the KBO.
Rios is 78-57 with a 3.07 ERA in his six-year career in Korea.