Major Points to Enhance Joy in Following Pro Baseball

"Play~~ball!" On the breezy spring wind, another pro baseball season has drifted to us.

The Korean pro baseball league starts its 2003 season today, and will host 532 games for some six months to come. This year, it will be different in many respects. Ranking will be made based on the number of winners, not on the winning rate. Moreover, many players have changed their teams. In the following, some interesting points are to be explained to enhance the joy of fans.

▽40s, the strongest opponents facing last year`s champion Samsung = Samsung grabbed the champion title last year by winning the most dramatic game in history. For the past 21 years, Samsung had collapsed just short of winning the championship in the post season. Samsung, led by championship-maker Kim Eung-yong, boasts of powerful batting and pitching abilities. In addition, breaking its championship jinx, players enjoyed the joy of the winner, for example, by receiving a huge bonus. Once tasting the return for winning, Samsung players will pitch in their best to relish the joy again.

But Samsung has to overcome the formidable challenge from forty-something managers like Kim Sung-han (Kia), Kim Jae-park (Hyundai), Yoo Seung-ahn (Hanhwa) and Cho Bum-hyun (SK). Characterized by passion and zeal, they will challenge Samsung manager with their enhanced team performance. For example, Kia has hired reliever Jin Pil-jung and slugger Park Jae-hong and ace Chung Min-tae returned to Hyundai. The two teams are deemed the most powerful challengers against Samsung. However, Samsung will also have a tough time with SK and Hanhwa, the two teams that showed the most promising team performance this spring.

▽Lee Seung-hyup v. Shim Jung-soo = Shim and Lee played with Florida Marines this spring to tap on their possibility of advancing to the major leagues. They are also the most promising candidates who would lead the league in the home run race. Last year, Lee hit the most home runs, or 47. Shim ranked right below by one-homer difference. Shim, however, is hitting at his career pinnacle. Last year, he performed best since his debut, and left a strong impression this spring by hitting 0.307 on average along with one homer against the US major leaguers. Thus, many experts predict that Shim will exceed Lee at least for this year.

▽Traded players = This year, quite a number of players changed their uniforms, and are expected to bring about surprising changes. Among others, Kia`s Jin Pil-jung and Park Jae-hong command media attention. Jin is believed to be the best reliever in South Korea, and Park is renowned for his powerful batting. If these two live up to expectations, Kia will grab the title. Park Kyung-hwan, who, after becoming a free agent, has joined Hyundai, could possibly upgrade its performance remarkably. If he succeeds in getting along and leading Hyundai pitchers, SK will surely thunder-shock the whole season.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com