`Score Machine` Gonzalez Joins Texas

`A thousand troops gained`.

The major leaguer Park Chan Ho (28), who recently transferred to Texas Rangers, is to play the upcoming season with the best batting line. The `score machine` Juan Gonzalez (32, picture) joined the Rangers.

Texas signed its 24 million dollar contract with Gonzalez, who is currently regarded as the No. 1 Free Agent (FA) batter. Gonzalez refused the offers from New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles, and decided to return to his `home team`. He started his career in Texas in 1989, and played as a Rangers for 11 years.

Gonzalez is no doubt the best slugger in the major league. Last year with the Cleveland Indians, he recorded a .325 batting average, 25 home runs, 140 points, and total 1282 points in 13 years. Scoring over 100 batting points per year will not be a problem for him. He even won the American League MVP twice in 1996 and 1998 when he was playing in Texas.

Park Chan Ho got himself another solid `helper`, and he will be able to stand on the mound with the best batting line backing him up. Texas has come to establish a `deadly batting line` with renowned catcher Ivan Rodriguez, `252 million dollar man` Alex Rodriguez, batters Rafael Palmeiro and Juan Gonzalez, and Carl Everett, who just transferred from the Boston Red Sox. Park groaned over a weak batter`s lineup in the L.A. Dodgers up to now, but he will be pitching with monstrous batters behind him this time.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com