Samsung Got off to Good Start Toward Achieving Dream

Will Samsung make come true its dream of winning the championship of the Korean Series for the first time in the 21-year history of the pro baseball?

Samsung got off to a good start toward his dream this year. In the first game of the Korean Series, which took place on Nov. 3rd in Daegoo, it beat LG 4-1. This is the second time Samsung beat LG in the first game of a Korean Series. Samsung has advanced to the Korean Series many times, but has never won the championship. In total, Samsung recorded only 2 wins, last year and this year, against LG in the series` first games.

What made Samsung different from Kia, which failed during the playoff, were the good teamwork and the excellent performance of foreign players in defense and offense. Last year, the foreign mercenaries almost ruined Samsung`s dream.

Samsung put on the mound Elbina, who is left-handed, under-hand thrower. He allowed 1-ERA double to Yoo Ji-hyun. But, during the 9 and one-third innings, he did well: 7 strikeouts, 4 hits and one ERA. Thus, he significantly contributed to his team`s victory.

Samsung, however, did not just sit tight. Just beginning with the bottom of the 1st, Kang Dong-woo made a hit into the left, and Park Han-hi did a successful sacrifice bunt. Then, Lee Seung-hyup`s hit into the center field tied the game, putting the game back to the starting point.

Lee, thus, demonstrated his batting power again, recording a 7-game hit and ERI streak ever since last year`s Korea Series.

The tense balance got broken in the bottom of the 5th. Park Jung-hwan, who went at bat as the first hitter of that inning, punched a double deep into the middle of the left and center fields, boosting the spirits among Samsung players. Then, with the ball count one and one, Kang Dong-woo, the player of the day, made a home run off the 135 km straight ball over the right fence, recording the game-winning 2 run homer.

In the 6th, Samsung made it impossible for LG to catch up. Its player, Britto, made a single home run, securing the victory for Samsung. Britto`s homer was the 300th one in the post-season history.

LG seemed to have a final shot in the 9th with Martinez` infield hit and Kim Jae-hyun`s hit into the right field, loading the first and second bases. But, the following hitters, Lee Byung-kyu and Lee Il-hee, got just grounded out, failing to take advantage of the chance.

Statistically, if a team wins the first game of the Korea Series, the team has a good chance of winning the series. The records show that, in 15 out of the 19 Korean Series, the winner of the first game of a series got the championship (78.9%) thereof. But in 1985, the series was not held since Samsung won the first and second rounds of the season.

Hwan-Soo Zang Sang-Soo Kim zangpabo@donga.com ssoo@donga.com