It's been a long time coming for right-hander Lim Chang-yong of the Samsung Lions: 2,408 days, to be exact.
Recently released by the Chicago Cubs, Lim, who rejoined his former Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club before the start of this season, picked up his first win of the year on Sunday against the SK Wyverns.
The Lions defeated the Wyverns 10-9, and Lim, 37, was credited with the win thanks to 1 2/3 innings of scoreless work in relief.
Lim's previous KBO appearance had come on Oct. 5, 2007, and his last victory in the top domestic league had been on Sept. 9, 2007.
Lim left for Japan after the 2007 season here and signed with the Yakult Swallows. He pitched five seasons in Japan and then signed with the Cubs before the 2013 season.
Lim pitched in 21 minor league games while recovering from his second Tommy John operation to repair ligament damage in his pitching elbow, but made only six big league appearances, posting a 5.40 ERA in five innings with no win-loss record.
The Cubs released him in March, and the veteran returned to the KBO club that he'd played for from 1999 to 2007. He is expected to fill the void in the closer's role, following the departure of the previous closer Oh Seung-hwan to Japan. Oh, the KBO's all-time leader with 277 career saves, is now pitching for the Hanshin Tigers.
Lim spent a few days in the minors here, as the Lions tried to ease him into action. He took the mound on Sunday in the top of the eighth, when the score was tied at 8-8, and the Wyverns had loaded the bases with one out. The Wyverns had erased a 6-0 deficit.
Lim got former big leaguer Luke Scott, the first batter he faced, to hit a fly to left on three pitches. The runner on third tagged up to score to make it 9-8 for SK, but the run was charged to An Ji-man, the previous Samsung pitcher.
Lim then struck out Kim Sung-hyun to end SK's five-run inning. The Lions reclaimed the lead with two runs in the bottom of the eighth, and Lim opened the ninth inning with a 10-9 lead.
Lee Myung-ki and Cho Dong-hwa grounded out, and Choi Jeong, who'd hit a game-tying grand slam in the eighth, went down swinging for the final out on a 1-2 slider.
"It would have been better if I had induced a double play in the eighth (with the bases loaded), but we managed to win thanks to our offense," Lim said. "I wanted to earn the trust of my manager (Ryu Joong-il) and teammates."
Lim threw three straight fastballs against Scott and said, "I have the most confidence in my fastball."
The veteran said he enjoys being back in the familiar territory with raucous fans cheering on his every move, even his warm-up throws in the bullpen.
"It's clearly different from the United States or Japan," he said. "I am thankful for these fans." (Yonhap)