Giants Revive Busan Baseball Popularity
By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter
The sprawling seaport of Busan is the country's second-largest city and most tortured sports town. Really, it's not even debatable.
The Lotte Giants, baseball's perennial underachievers who are undeserving of the most passionate fan base of all Korean sports, haven't won anything since a military strongman was still president.
And don't even start about football's Busan I'Cons, who are like Fredo while the Giants are Michael in the hearts of locals, and have yet to lift their first championship trophy after 25 years of existence.
Clearly, Busan has suffered plenty, pounded into numbing hopelessness as the seasons of futility reached 16.
So it's understandable that fans, who have been desperately looking for the smallest excuses to celebrate, are now packing Sajik Stadium, driven by euphoria with the Giants storming out of the gate with a 6-2 record that is currently enough for first place in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
Needless to say, it's too early to predict the Giants will win their first championship banner since 1992 when they still have 118 games to play this season.
However, a loaded lineup, a deep starting rotation and fresh leadership brought by new manager Jerry Royster suggest that these Giants have what it takes to stay relevant and the potential to do even more.
The Giants will be tested this week as they visit Daegu for a three-game series against the mighty Samsung Lions, also 6-2 and pegged by many experts as the favorite to win it all this year.
Scoring has not been the problem for the Giants in recent years, and former New York Yankees star Karim Garcia is now adding further ammunition to a murderous batting order.
Garcia, who already has three home runs, is complemented by Lee Dae-ho, who led the league in slugging percentage last year, and Kang Min-ho, one of the league's top offensive catchers, at the heart of the order, while Jeong Soo-geun is an extra-base threat at the leadoff spot.
And for the first time in years, the Giants may have the pitching to keep them in contention. Veteran right-hander Son Min-han is reliable as a No. 1 starter, and Marty McLeary looked promising in his start against the LG Twins Saturday, limiting the home team to three runs over seven innings.
However, former Boston Red Sox prospect Song Seung-jun could be the biggest difference maker in the staff. Song struck out 12 in his complete game shutout against the Twins on Sunday, allowing him to start the season 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA.
Song, who looked impressive in limited starts after joining the Giants in midseason last year, certainly has the stuff to dominate, showing solid control of a 150kph fastball, which he complements well with a splitter, curveball and occasional sinker.
With Jang Won-jun and Lee Yong-hun providing solid options at the fourth and fifth slots, Royster might have a starting rotation that could challenge for the best in the league.
Only, if the bullpen could be as reliable. Relief pitching is clearly the Giants' weakest spot at the moment, with Lim Gyung-wan inspiring little confidence as a closer, and Na Seung-hyeon and Kang Yong-shik not exactly confused anyone as a shutdown combination in the seventh and eighth innings.