By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Lee Seung-yeop of the Yomiuri Giants and Lee Byung-kyu of the Chunichi Dragons did not have eye-popping statistics in the Japanese league this season, which came to an end Sunday.
But those former Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) stars have something to get excited about, after their late surges pushed their teams to the postseason for the second straight year.
Another former KBO star, Yakult Swallows closer Lim Chang-yong, established himself as a top finisher in the league, getting 33 saves in his first year with the Central League (CL) club.
The 32-year-old, thought to have already had his best years when he joined the league last winter, became one of three pitchers in the 58-year history of the league to notch 30 saves in their debut years in Japan.
Lee, who totaled 71 homers in the previous two seasons, spent most of this year in the lower league due to a slump.
After helping South Korea win a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in August, Lee, 32, regained his form and started contributing to the Giants, who were 13 games behind the Hanshin Tigers before rallying to finish first in the league standings.
The former Samsung Lion hit back-to-back-to-back home runs for the first time since he joined the league in 2004 against the Yokohama BayStars on Sept. 16.
In addition, he provided impressive performances against the Tigers, helping the Giants climb to the top spot in the standings. Lee blasted three dingers and a game-winning, two-run double in the last four meetings with the Tigers, who are led by manager Akinobu Okada.
Lee had a batting average of .248 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs this season, but he batted .350 against the Tigers.
The two-time defending league champion Giants will face the Tigers or Dragons in the second stage of the Climax Series, which starts on Oct. 22.
Lee Byung-kyu batted .254 with 16 homers and 65 RBIs. The outfielder, who played for the LG Twins from 1997 to 2006, became an everyday player in center or right field.
Although Lee went down with an early-season shoulder injury, he eventually settled in as a leadoff hitter, a role he used to fill in the KBO.
The 33-year-old lefty had a 12-game hitting streak starting Sept. 20 to help the Dragons clinch the third spot in the standings, the lowest slot for a Climax Series berth. He had five consecutive multi-hit games in October, along with back-to-back homers against Yokohama on Oct. 2.
Lim, who went 1-5 with a 3.00 ERA, started the season as a setup man ― a relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer ― but became a closer in March after Ryota Igarashi suffered a thigh injury.
The right-handed pitcher surprised Japanese batters with his various deliveries. Lim, who played for the Kia Tigers and Samsung Lions in the Korean league, threw 51 innings with 50 strikeouts.
Last week, he recorded his 200th save combined from his careers in Korea and Japan.