By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Lotte Giants players popped champagne bottles at Daejeon Stadium Tuesday night after pulling off a 9-6 win over the Hanhwa Eagles.
While the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) still has two weeks remaining in its regular-season schedule, American manager Jerry Royster called it a historic day as the second-ranked Giants ended a seven-year playoff drought by earning a postseason berth.
Since their last playoff appearance in 2000, the Busan-based club had not finished better than fifth place, while only the top four teams reach the playoffs.
The Giants finished eighth four straight years from 2001-2004, fifth in 2005 and seventh the past two seasons.
Seeking to fix their damaged reputation, the two-time KBO champions brought in Royster, a former Major League Baseball (MLB) player and manager. The 55-year-old California native, who had a 16-year MLB playing career, became the first non-Korean boss in the KBO's 27-year history.
Before joining the Giants, Royster managed the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002 and the Las Vegas 51s, the Los Angeles Dodgers' minor league affiliate, from 2005-2006.
Despite doubts around him, the skipper, nicknamed ``Busan's Hiddink,'' directed the Giants to the top of the standings early in the season and produced a dazzling 17-2 run after the Beijing Olympics to move the team into second place, behind only the reigning champion SK Wyverns.
Giants right-handed pitcher Son Min-han, who is 11-3 with a 2.65 ERA, is accompanied by Jang Won-joon and Song Seung-jun, who have won 11 and 12 games, respectively, to form a strong rotation.
Newly-acquired closer David Cortes of Mexico has protected the team's leads, notching two wins and six saves with a zero ERA in nine games.
Former Los Angeles Dodger Karim Garcia made headlines by joining the Korean league before the season, and has lived up to expectations. The 32-year-old Mexican outfielder leads the league in RBIs with 106 and is second in homers with 29.
Infielders Cho Sung-hwan and Lee Dae-ho also wield impressive swings to back up Garcia. Cho is batting .328, third best in the league, and his 139 hits rank second to Kim Hyun-soo's 144. Lee has produced 17 home runs with a batting average of .306.