The Consecutive Hitting Streak by Lee Jong-Bum, Narrowly Continues…

· Against the LG in Jamsil on August 10: Lee Jong-Bum was 0 for 3 up to the previous at-bat. Huge number of Kia fans who came to see him were anxious not seeing Lee Jong-Bum`s dynamic hitting performance. At his last at-bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, Lee Jong-Bum finally responded to the fans` cheering with a groundball hit that pierced between the pitcher and the shortstop.

· Against the Hanwha in Daejeon on August 15: At the last inning for the Kia trailing 3-5, if the team had not survived the inning, there would have been no additional opportunity for Lee Jong-Bum who was hitting 0 for 3. However, the pinch-hitter Jang Ill-Hyun hit a miraculous two-run game-tying homerun, and Lee Jong-Bum, who barely entered the batter’s box, could continue the consecutive hitting streak by hitting a double.

· Against the Lotte in Kwangju on August 17: He was also 0 for 3 up to the previous at-bat. It seemed that the consecutive hitting streak apparently discontinue after Lee Jong-Bum, who had entered his last at-bat in the eighth inning, hit a common fly-ball toward the right-fielder. But, Lotte`s rookie right-fielder Park Sang-Min dropped the ball after he stepped backward misguidedly thinking the ball was well hit. Was it a hit or an error? The conclusion made by the official game scorer was a hit. As soon as the `hit` sign appeared on the electrical scoreboard, the Kwangju fans went crazy by cheering wildly. Even if the official scorer had judged the ball as an error, no one could have argued in that situation.

Kia`s Lee Jong-Bum is narrowly continuing his consecutive hitting streak. After hitting a ball safely at his first at-bat at the game against the SK in Incheon, it has been fourteenth consecutive hitting game so far. If the last game against the Ssangbangwool in Jeonju on October 1, 1997 during which he produced his last hit before he went to Japan, the official record of the KBO is fifteen game consecutive hitting.

Although it is yet far beyond the national record of 31 games (1991) made by Park Jung-Tae, he has approached closely to – 7 to break his personal record of 22 consecutive game hitting streak. If he can continue to hit until the end of the season, a 46 consecutive game hitting streak is possible.

In spite of the short adjustment time, it is great to see Lee Jong-Bum continuing the consecutive game hitting streak. The baseball genius is giving his fans a thrilling delight with the consecutive game hitting parade.

Kim Sang-Soo ssoo@donga.com