`Leftie Storm` Bong Jung-Kun, “I Am a Major Leaguer Too”

Bong Jung-Kun (22.picture) advanced to the major league.

U.S. professional baseball Atlanta Braves called in Bong, who is currently playing in minor league Double A’s Greenvile Braves, in replacement of the starting pitcher Jason Marquis, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on 22nd.

Bong is Korea’s 6th major leaguer following Park Chan-Ho, Cho Jin-Ho, Kim Byung-Hyun, Lee Sang-Hun, and Kim Sun-Woo, and the 3rd to go directly from Double A to the major league after Park in 1994 and Cho in 1998. Atlanta, which is recently suffering from .500 PCT (10 wins, 10 losses), is to let Bong to be the starting pitcher at the out-match with Arizona Diamondbacks on the 24th. He is to fight against Curt Schilling (3 wins, 1 loss); so much for the debut match.

Bong, who joined the league receiving 1.2 million dollars while he was a 2nd grader at Shinil High School in 1997, is a rookie with a great history in a short high school life. In the 1st grade, he won an excellent pitcher award at Golden Lion Tournament in 1996, and also won MVP at International Youth Championship, which took place in Canada.

His left-handed fastballs reach up to 92 miles per hour (148 km). He recorded average 3.00 ERA in Single A, where he participated in 28 matches as the start-up to claim 13 wins and 9 losses, and is currently recording 4.02 ERA with 2 wins and 1 loss in Double A this year.

Meanwhile, Chicago Cubs’ `next generation 4th hitter` Choi Hee-Sup (23. Iowa Cubs) displayed an impressive performance of hitting 2 homeruns at the match with Triple A’s Sacramento River Cats (Oakland affiliated).

Hwan-Soo Zang zangpabo@donga.com