BK spits flame, Park coughs smoke

By Cho Mu-hyun

Two former Major League pitchers Kim Byung-hyun and Park Chan-ho make their debut in the domestic league for the first time Saturday.

In a press conference on Wednesday, both pitchers stated their goal of 10 wins for this season: a fair and modest ambition, considering their past achievements overseas.

But who has shown the performance to back it up?

Kim, who made only one appearance in the preseason exhibition games, played solidly in a second division game on Wednesday as a starter against LG Twins.

The 33-year-old ceded no runs in four innings, while striking out four batters in a row in the beginning.

“His straight balls are formidable. I think he has found 75 percent of his old form,” said the club’s pitching coach, Jeong Min-tae after the game. “He will likely join the first division within May.”

The submariner achieved 38 strikes out of 56 pitches, and though his straight ball marked 141 kilometers, his curve ball was smooth. He ceded no runs in his previous outing against Lotte Giants on March 29 as well, and this time it was longer and better.

“It was good overall,” said Kim on his pitching after the game. “I think everything will go smoothly if I can continue to throw like today.”

But the pitcher expressed his hunger for more challenges, saying “I heard there is some difference in the level of play between the first and second division.” He was eager for a chance to face more formidable batters to experience something new.

Bottom-seed Heroes invested heavily on Kim, paying a whopping 1 billion won signing bonus when they brought him on in January. Club President Lee Jang-seok called the pitcher “key in making the club stronger,” and vowed that the club will back him completely.

Manager Kim Si-jin repeatedly stated throughout the preseason that the new signee will be part of the starting rotation, hinting that the pitcher’s current stint in the second division is mere preparation for bigger matches. The boss is in no hurry to deploy his new ace in the hole, and will use him when the time is ripe.

Kim will continue to play in the second division games in Seoul as a starter while practicing with the first division members, as he prepares himself for a main game debut.

In marked contrast, Hanwha Eagles’ Park Chan-ho’s place in the team is already vulnerable after a poor show in the exhibition games.

He ceded 16 hits and 12 runs, and marked an ERA of 12.96 in eight innings. His throwing speed of 140 kilometers failed to stun any of the batters, and his curve balls were not great, to put it mildly.

“It was part of a process to learn about the batters,” said Park, but many believe otherwise. The eight managers of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) were generally unfavorable of the former LA Dodgers pitcher’s performance here, and sports commentators concur that the set target of 10 wins will not be easy.

Manager Han Dai-hwa, who put his new signee in the starting line-up after some hesitation, believes that the “Korea Express” still has some fuel left in his tank.

“We can’t judge Park Chan-ho with the exhibition games alone,” said the 51-year-old. But his choice for the starters in the opener against the Giants on Saturday is questionable, as Ryu Hyun-jin and An Seung-min will take the mound.

The boss is likely giving Park more warm-up time, but he did not disclose when the 38-year-old would pitch in front of home fans. When he does appear, he can hopefully end the current concerns about his sub-par form.