Giants outfielder joins 20-20 Club

Underdog club cruising into postseason games

By Kang Hyun-kyung

Lotte Giants outfielder Son A-seop joined the 20-20 Club _ the group of batters who have hit 20 home runs and stolen 20 bases in a single season.

He is the second player to join the club this season, following Kia Tigers' Roger Bernadina, and the 46th player to achieve the record in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League history.

Son, 30, produced his much-anticipated 20th home run against the Nexen Heroes at the Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on Sunday, renewing his career-high home run record. He has stolen 22 bases so far this season.

He produced a three-run homer off Jake Brigham in the seventh inning when the Giants were losing 4-9.

His bat is on fire. Son hit home runs in four consecutive games last week. His career-high home run tally is the result of his thorough analysis of Heroes pitcher Hwang Deuk-gyun.

"He beat me the last time we met," Son said after the game on Saturday. "At that time the pitch he struck me out with was a changeup. So before standing at bat today, I thought he would throw the same ball again and I prepared myself for it. As expected, he threw the changeup and so I was able to hit a two-run homer against him."

Son, who will become a free agent after the regular season, has been having his most prolific season since he joined the Korea Baseball Organization League in 2007 as a Giant. He is batting .342, a career high. He has made 165 hits this season so far and tops the ranking.

Son is famous for his ceaseless efforts to improve his performance. "His attitude toward baseball has helped him become what he is today," baseball analyst Lee Soon-cheol said. "He is a serious player and takes every game as if it's the most important of his career."

Son is one of the KBO players who trains his mind for better results. Before games, he meditates for five minutes. Inside his helmet are two archery stickers which allegedly help players improve their concentration.

Son is one of the key players who pushed the Giants ahead of rival baseball clubs in the second half of the regular season.

The Giants have become a sensation after their six-game winning streak, which includes their two wins against the top-ranked Kia Tigers.

The Busan-based club ranks fourth out of the 10 KBO clubs, three and a half games ahead of the fifth-ranked Heroes. If their current pace continues for the remaining 20 games, the Giants will advance to the five-team post-season playoffs to vie for the pennant.

The Giants cruising into the postseason in the second half of the regular season would come as a surprise because the club was considered an underdog. Earlier this season, few baseball experts predicted the Giants would be able to finish the regular season in the top five. Compared to other clubs, their roster, particularly the starting and bullpen pitchers, was not strong enough to lift the club to advance to the postseason.

The roaring Giants have excited baseball fans in the southern port city. On Sunday, Sajik ballpark was packed with baseball spectators. For the third time this season all tickets were sold out.

The crowd performed the wave to cheer for their favorite baseball team after slugger Lee Dae-ho hit an upset solo homer in the sixth inning against the Heroes. Spectators applauded and chanted for Lee as he ran to second base, barely succeeding after he doubled to left field. The slugger, who is 194 centimeters tall and weighs 100 kilograms, is notorious for his slow base-running.

While watching him round the bases, baseball analyst Lee Soon-cheol chuckled and said Giants fans seemed more excited about his running than his double.