Lee Byung-Kyu and Jung Soo-Keun Shine in International Games

In order to show a good performance in the international games, the hitters need quick speed and baseball sense, and pitchers need ball control and boldness.

The members four dream teams so far comprised of the best players of each professional team could be certainly divided into players who have been good in the international tournaments, and players who have not.

In the 34th Baseball World Cup at Taiwan, Lee Byung-Kyu (LG) and Jung Soo-Keun (Doosan) proved their merits, which were outstanding especially in the international game.

The combination of these No. 1 and No.3 hitters was a scoring formula of the Korean team, according to which Jung went to base and then Lee brought him to home with a timely hit.

Jung Soo-Keun recorded the team`s best BA 0.524 (11 for 21) and three stolen bases, and Lee earned 7 RBIs with BA 0.480 (12 for 25), proving himself to be a team`s best `clutch hitter`. Only four-time dream team member Lee Byung-Kyu has shown the remarkable hitting parade in every international baseball tournament, and thus has received the concentrated attention from the scouts of each country.

For pitcher, Cho Kyu-Soo (Hanwha) and Ma Il-Young (Hyundai) have shown the relatively good pitches against foreign hitters with good ball control and breaking balls. Both pitched the scoreless 11 innings and 10 and 1/3 innings respectively facing the strong hitters from the Middle and South America.

Cho Kyu-Soo said confidently, ``It was much easier to face the aggressive hitters from the Middle and South America than the domestic hitters.``

On the other hand, Ma Hae-Young (Samsung), Lee Young-Woo (Hanwah) and Shim Jung-Soo (Hyundai) failed to prove their abilities in this event, which they have shown in the domestic stage. In particular, Ma Hae-Young remained silent with no hit for 8 bats facing the high-level pitchers from the U.S. and Taiwan, in spite of his BA 0.304 (7 for 23). Shim Jung-Soo (0.200) and Lee Young-Woo (0.227) also fell short of expectations.

Lee Yong-Hoon (Samsung) did not finish even the first inning in game with Taiwan, failing to throw an aggressive pitching. And Doosan`s Lee Hae-Cheon recorded the team`s best 16 strikeouts including 7 strikeouts against 11 Taiwanese hitters, but he has been in trouble with ball control.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com