Declining performances spoiling record season

By Kang Seung-woo

What’s missing from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), which is on pace to set a new mark in ballpark attendances this season? Home runs and shutouts.

Home runs, the most popular aspect of the game, have become an endangered species in the Korean league in recent weeks.

As of Monday, the eight clubs have produced just 520 homers from 441 games, on pace to reach 633 by the end of the season. The average of 1.19 is the lowest figure since 1993’s 1.1 home runs per game.

In its 31-year history, this yea ranks fifth from bottom, with the worst record of 1.01, set in 1987.

“Regardless of results, I want to see players hit more balls over the wall in games,” said Chung Ki-baek, a baseball fan in Daegu.

The KBO may again see a home run king who fails to deliver even 30 homers this year for the first time since 2006, when Lee Dae-ho topped the table with 26 for the Lotte Giants. The Nexen Heroes’ Park Byung-ho currently leads the league in homers with 26.

Pundits attribute the decline in big hits to improved pitching.

“The KBO has seen the level of pitching become higher than before and solid pitchers prevent batters from producing long balls,” said OBS commentator Gu Kyung-baek.

He added that less competition in the home run race has also resulted in the drop.

“Previously, when foreign batters hit homers, local players were motivated to take part in cut-throat competition. But these days teams tend to prefer foreign hurlers and there is no player to heat up a home run race,” he said.

In addition, teams’ sluggers seem to be in a slump.

The Kia Tigers’ Kim Sang-hyun and Choi Hee-seop, who combined for 134 home runs in the last three seasons, have been limited to 10 between them this year, while the Samsung Lions’ Choi Hyung-woo, the reigning home run title holder, has managed just 14. The Doosan Bears’s slugging third baseman Kim Dong-joo has just two homers this season.

Even, the Heroes’ Kang Jung-ho, sitting on 20 and the first-half leader, has slowed down, sending the ball over the wall just once since July.

Despite the improvement on the mound, baseball fans are rarely witness pitchers blanking opponents. There were 11 shutouts in 2011 and 12 the year before but only three players have managed not to concede a run over nine innings this season.

The U.S. big leagues have seen 63 shutouts this season and there have been 45 in Japan.

“Each team depends on a combination of pitchers, not just one to win and that is why the number of shutouts is on the decline,” Gu said.

“Once a starter eats up six or seven innings, relievers take over.”

On Aug. 27, the KBO saw the number of people through the turnstiles break 6 million for the second-straight year and is on pace to reach 7 million for the first time.