SK Cho`s Comeback Pitching

Cho Jin-ho of SK played his first game in South Korea in five years yesterday, which ended up as a victory. He had been in the US Major League.

Cho took the mound in the fifth with the game led by his team 2-0 against Hanhwa, which was held yesterday in Daejeon. He pitched for three innings, and allowed three hits and two runners home. But he led his team to a 5-3 victory. In the seventh, with two batters out, Song Jee-man punched a solo homer over the fence against Cho. Then, Cho loaded the bases with runners on walk and hit-by-the-pitched ball. Then, Cho had to watch one of the runners come in home due to Baek Jae-ho`s hit. But, experts say that his performance was satisfactory.

Cho`s fast balls reached up to 146km, and his change-up centered around sliders posed difficulties to Hanhwa batters. Up to the seventh, he gave up only one hit, before two more scores were made against him.

Cho said, "This is my first pitch in five years here in Korea. I felt like when I first pitched in the Major League. I had a little difficulty throwing curves. But my fast balls were better than I expected. I learned a lot from allowing scores in the seventh. I consider myself as a rookie who just got out of college. I will do my best and secure my position in the starting lineup."

Although he received an offer upon college graduation, he went over to the United States in 1998, and played for Boston Red Socks. Next year, he recorded two wins. After that, he was sent back to the Minor League and stayed there. Last year, SK offered him a job, and Cho came back to Korea for a $90,000 salary.

The game was interesting in another respect. It was a bout between two "rookie managers." Cho Bum-hyun got to take the helm of a pro baseball team for the first time, and so did Hanhwa`s Yoo Seung-ahn. The 5-3 victory went to SK. In this exhibition game, SK demonstrated its powerful pitchers. Smith, for example, shut out four innings, and recorded three strikeouts.

Samsung won the game in Daegu against LG 6-4, the two teams that took on each other for the Korean Series title last year. Samsung replayed last year`s Korean Series on the screen to "commemorate" its winning championship. Managers of both teams sent in all star players to beat the rival.

But the winner was determined in the bottom 7th. With LG catching up by one point, or 3-4, Samsung struck back with its star players. Lee Seung-yup and Mah Hae-young, two players who won the championship last year, made out a double and a triple against LG pitcher Choi Won-ho, securing the victory for sure.

In Busan, Kia beat up Lotte and won a 14-1 victory, while, in Suwon, Hyundai turned around and pulled out a victory against Doosan 6-2.

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