Samsung beats SoftBank to win Asia Series

By Cho Mu-hyun

Samsung Lions defeated Japan’s SoftBank Hawks, Tuesday, to become the first Korean team to win the Asia Series.

The Lions won 5-3 in the final at the Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium, Taiwan, in front of over 10,000 fans.

Korean clubs were twice thwarted by Japanese teams in previous finals with their best finish previously as runner-up. The Lions lost to the Lotte Marines in 2005 and the SK Wyverns were beaten by the Chunichi Dragons in 2007.

The Asia Series began in 2005 on an initiative by the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), halting in 2009 but starting again this year. All four past winners were from Japan.

Samsung were thrashed 9-0 by the Hawks in a round-robin preliminary match on Saturday, but evened the score with Tuesday’s win to claim the 550 million won ($480,000) first-place prize money.

“I feel great since this is the first victory for Korea and because it was against Japan,” said manager Ryu Joong-il, who couldn’t conceal his joy. “We won over SoftBank today, but facing the Japanese players was indeed a challenge.”

The 48-year-old added: “The players, and myself included, have grown in confidence after winning the trophy in a very difficult situation. I think the championship experience will help immensely in planning next year’s stratagem.”

Ryu went on to praise starting pitcher Jang Won-sam, who showed impeccable control, conceding only one run and five hits in six innings. The left-hander was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the series for his stellar performance in the final.

The 28-year-old, who had only three days rest before taking the mound, thanked his team as he held up the MVP plaque: “I gave everything I had in my pitches. I want to thank coach Ryu and the staff for a year of hard work.”

Samsung went into the final with both catcher Jin Gap-yong and infielder Shin Myung-chul ruled out due to injuries.

The Lions then made a bleak start, with all their batters striking out in the first inning, while the Hawks’ Honda Yuichi had an RBI double thanks to Matsuda Nobuhiro long hit to left field.

SoftBank’s pitchers dominated Samsung until the third inning when the Lions’ batters started to withstand the Japanese assault.

The 5th inning saw a change of fortune when Jung Hyung-sik had a decisive hit to centerfield for two RBIs with Lee Jung-shik and Kim Sang-su making it home. With two outs, Park Suk-min’s hit contributed one run, and Kang Bong-kyu added two more to put the Lions ahead 5-1 at the end of the fifth.

The lead was threatened in the eighth inning when Hasegawa Yuya hit deep into the outfield to score two runs for his team, but Ryu sent in saver Oh Seung-hwan who secured the victory.

The Korea Baseball Organization is currently in talks with the relative associations to host next year’s Asia Series.