Mar 14 2006 10:07 AM
Team Korea has extra incentive...
March 14, 2006
On Baseball
South Korea Continues to Find Motivation
By MURRAY CHASS
Anaheim, Calif.
BEFORE the World Baseball Classic, South Korea was not considered on the level of the United States, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba, or even Japan. But the South Koreans won Pool A by beating Japan in the final game of the first round and were the tournament's only undefeated team as they entered last night's game against the United States.
South Korea, it was learned earlier yesterday, had a good reason for winning its games and refusing to lose. Jae Seo, the former Mets pitcher now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, explained.
"The big difference between us and the other teams," Seo said, "is if we qualify for the semifinals, which means we go to San Diego, the government is going to give a waiver to the players for military service."
Military service in South Korea is mandatory for 26 months, explained Joon Choi, the press liaison for the team. He translated replies by Seo and Seung Yeop Lee, the team's home run hitter, in pregame interviews in the South Korean dugout.
"These two gentlemen got waivers from the military when they won the bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics," Choi said, "but they're trying their best to help the younger players so they can have a longer baseball life."
Lee and Seo have been instrumental in South Korea's march to San Diego. Lee, whose 56 home runs in 2003 broke Sadaharu Oh's Asian record, whacked his fifth homer in South Korea's five games last night.
His two-run homer in the eighth inning beat Japan, 3-2, and his two-run home run against Rodrigo Lopez of the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning beat Mexico, 2-1, in the opening game of the second round.
His home run last night, which he hit on the first pitch he saw from Dontrelle Willis, gave him 7 hits in 15 at bats (.467) and a 1.467 slugging percentage. He had driven in 10 of the 18 South Korea had scored.
Even more impressive, though, were the South Korean pitchers. Led by Seo, who was the starting and winning pitcher in the first game of each round, they had a tournament best 1.00 earned run average, allowing only four runs in the first four games.
The staff also has Dae Sung Koo, formerly of the Mets; Chan Ho Park, a veteran major leaguer who gained a tournament-high three saves in the first four games; and two Colorado pitchers, Byung Hyun Kim and Sun Woo Kim.
While the pitching is populated by major leaguers, the other part of the roster is filled with players named Lee. All three outfielders are named Lee, and the first baseman and third baseman are, too. How is the home run hitter, the first baseman, distinguished from the other Lees?
"He's the most handsome," Seo said, and both players immediately broke up laughing.
A left-handed hitter who plays for the Tokyo Giants, Seung Yeop Lee became the youngest player in the world to hit 300 home runs, in 2003. He reached that milestone en route to hitting 56 that season. Ken Griffey Jr., a center fielder for the United States team, was the youngest player to hit 350, 400 and 450.
Others call Lee's 56 homers the Asian record, but Lee modestly said it was only the Korean record. "He's a very low-key guy," Koo Youn Heo, the noted South Korean television baseball commentator, said. "He respects other people. That's why he may answer that way."
Lee was a pitcher when he played in high school and, Heo suggested, could be considered the Babe Ruth of South Korea. The 29-year-old Lee, who is also called the Lion King, has won five most valuable player awards in the South Korea Baseball Organization. He has played in Japan the last two years and has thoughts of playing in the United States.
"My dream is to play in three big leagues," he said. "It all depends on this year's statistics. I'm going to play in Japan this year and after this season I'll be a free agent, so it depends on this year's record and this year's success."
Choi said, "If they fit him in, he will come."
Lee was asked if Seo had told him about life in the major leagues.
"Not at all," Lee replied, grinning, and again both broke up laughing.
Seo had a good partial season last year with the Mets, registering an 8-2 record and 2.59 earned run average in 14 starts, but the Mets needed relief pitching and traded him to the Dodgers for Duaner Sanchez.
"It was a very good trade," Seo said. "The Mets were a great team and the atmosphere was great, but the Dodgers have more atmosphere for me. It's going to be a great opportunity for me to play for the Dodgers."
Meanwhile, Seo and Lee will concentrate on the World Baseball Classic. Lee said he hadn't been able to enjoy the experience as much as he would have liked because he had a cold and was "kind of sick now."
When Seo was asked what his most enjoyable experience had been, he replied: "The best thing is beating Japan. There was a controversial issue between Ichiro and the Korean team. Ichiro said they will not let Korea beat Japan for the next 30 years. That made us very motivated.
"Because of that, beating Japan is the most memorable thing so far."
Had any of the United States players said anything?
"No," Seo said. The military waiver would be motivation enough.