Chan-Ho and Byung-Hyun on Opposite Ends of Spectrum

Ball, ball, ball, ball

This was the game opening the latter half of the season. Park Chan-Ho (29, Texan Rangers), although determined to win, messed it up due to his chronic problem in controlling.

Park performed relatively well. But base on balls led him to a loss.

This game, held in Minnesota Metro Dorm, was an away for Park against Minnesota Twins. Park allowed just 3 hits in the 6 and a third innings. But his failure came with 2 hit-by-the-pitched balls and 5 bases on balls. As a result, 4 points were scored (three of them Park`s earned runs), adding one more loss to his records (3 wins and 5 losses in total). His ERA was lowered from 8 point something to 7.63 and his record speed during the game reached 94 miles (151 kim).

During the game, however, Park could have shown a better performance. Rangers scored three points in advance with one in the first and 2 homer of Mench in the second, relieving the stress on Park. An ace of a team should have kept the three-point lead. The loss was not the result of good performance, but that of Park`s mal-performance. Koskie made it to the first base with base on balls and stole to the second. Then Park`s wild pitch got him to the third. It was just one out. Then the moment Ortiz, 6th hitter, got one base with another base on balls, Evan Rodriguez, Rangers` pitcher, threw a wild ball to peg the runner on the third base, but ended up calling in the runner to home.

In the 3rd with a runner on the third and with two outs, Park allowed 2-base hits in a row, making it a tie 3-3. He successfully sealed off the third and fourth innings. But Park began to lose control in the 6th. He loaded, when it was two outs, the bases with hit-by-the-pitched balls and base on balls. Fortunately he ended the 6th with a strikeout. But in the 7th, he was taken off the mound due to his successive base on balls. Then the reliever, Rich Rodriguez allowed hits, when with two outs, calling in the runners on the first and second base. But the game was recorded Park` loss since he was the pitcher who loaded the bases.

Out of 107 pitches, he threw only 58 strikes with 49 balls. After the game, Park confessed, Too many balls got me today`s loss. During this season, Park has not shown confidence in his pitching. Thus, he failed to show his aggressive pitching, and seemed to try to bypass each hitter, which eventually ended up more losses than wins.

On the other hand, Kim Byung-Hyun (23, Arizona Diamondbacks), whose excessive confidence sometimes called for trouble, recorded another save with his aggressive pitching in the game against LA Dodgers at the Dodgers` Stadium.

Kim took the mound in the ninth with his team leading 4-3. He popped out the pinch hitter Hansen and had the second hitter Cora grounded out. Then he struck out the final hitter, recording his 23th save. Out of 19 pitches, he threw 9 strikes.

Watching Kim`s another save, we can predict the rising star`s constantly good performance throughout the rest of the season, which is opposite the case of the submerging Park.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com