BK Okay as Starting Pitcher

Baseball player, Byung-hyun Kim, 24, of the Arizona Diamondbacks was confirmed into the team’s starting roster.

On March 11, in a home game held at Electric Park in Tucson, Arizona, Kim scored five strikeouts, two hits, four balls with no points lost during four innings against the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners had seven left-handed batters lined up against him.

Kim, a star hitter during his high school days, was made a laughing stock among the teammates when he introduced himself as the one of ex-best hitters in Korea. However he proved himself at the bottom of the second inning, he scored a hit which popped right over a mid-fielder.

So, for eight innings straight, Kim has not lost any points since the Anaheim game on the March 7. He managed to lower his average to 2.70, which he raised during his first debut game against the Chicago Red Sox on March 3.

For the past four days and two matches, he has thrown for four innings and suppressed any doubt about his physical stamina. It is quite encouraging, in the National League where even pitchers swing a bat, Kim has been recognized for his batting skills and has earned a favorable place in competition for the team’s starting lineup.

Meanwhile Kim’s team competitor, Miguel Batista who replaced Kim as the fifth pitcher in the 5th inning recorded five hits with four points lost (two errors) during three innings. Batista played a total of six innings, with eleven hits and nine points lost (five errors) during past three matches and raised his average to 7.50. The fourth pitcher and rookie John Patterson has played seven innings, with nine hits and 4 points lost during the past three matches. His recorded average is 5.14.

If Kim manages to avoid his worst play in the upcoming match on March 15 against the San Francisco Giants, he is sure to gain a place in the starting line-up. Head Coach Bob Brenly, who has yet to announce the team’s starting roster for exhibition games after March 16 will implement his five-men starting rotation roster then.

Meanwhile, Chu Shin-su of Seattle who appeared in place of Ichiro as the No. 8 right-handed batter, scored four balls at the top of the third inning. In the seventh inning, he hit a run off Batista. Overall he did a successful job with two hits, one run, twice four-balls and scored three points for the team.

The game was tied after the tenth at 6-6. At the top of the sixth inning, Bret Boon was hit by a ball from Batista and next, Louis Gonzales was it by an intentional ball in the back in return. This led to a brief scuffle between the two teams.

Bong Jung-guen of the Atlanta Braves also made an appearance as finishing pitcher in the match against the Cardinals and recorded two hits, no points lost for two innings and has increased his chances to stay in the Major League.

Hwan-Soo Zang zangpabo@donga.com