Welcome Home Submarine – “Mission Completed”

Starting pitcher comes down from the mound after fulfilling all the requisites of victory in a leading status. Then the relief pitcher gives points away to the opponent team right after being switched and blows away the victory of the starting pitcher.

The described situation above is very familiar for the Major League fans in Korea. Recently, Jae Eung Seo (New York Mats) and Byung Hyun Kim (Arizona Diamondbacks) who had a returning game on May 28 followed the above scenario. It is surely heartbreaking.

There was a game between Arizona Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants at the Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco on May 28. Byung Hyun Kim who stepped into the mound as a starting pitcher in 28 days since the game with the Florida Marlins on April 30, repeatedly threw wonderful pitches `as if he was never listed in the disabled list.`

His pitching was not fast but he handled the Giants players with his excellent curve balls such as low controls, sliders and change ups. He threw so well that there weren`t any noticeable critical moments. A full base during the second inning and two bases in the fifth inning were the moments. The second inning was overcome with the infield ground balls but during the fifth inning, one point was given away after a right field base hit.

The encounter with the home run hitter of the Giants, Barry Bonds, was very impressing. Byung Hyun Kim struck him out in the second inning with straight pitches and induced Barry Bonds to have fly balls during the fourth and the sixth inning with his decisive pitches. He faced Barry Bonds three times but did not allow not even a single run, thus it was a complete victory of Byung Hyun Kim.

Byung Hyun Kim who had a successful return game with 5 hits, 1 point, 3 walks and 6 strike outs in 7 innings stepped down from the mound in the 8th inning and was switched with a reliever after fulfilling the requisites of a winning pitcher. Nevertheless, the unstable lead of 2 to 1 was a problem at last. As soon as Byung Hyun Kim left the mound, Giants gained a tie point. Mike Myers and Mike Koplove allowed a game-tying run in the eighth with a hit, a walk and a sacrificial play and blew away the victory of Kim. This game continued on to the thirteenth inning and was finally ended with the victory of San Francisco Giants by 4 to 3.

Byung Hyun Kim did not get the victory from this game but with his excellent performance shown on this day despite his injury in his ankle, he stablized his position in the starting pitcher rotation. On the other side, Chan Ho Park (Texas Rangers) mounded as a starter with Tulsa Drillers in a Minor League game under Frisco RoughRiders, a double AA team under Texas, gave four walks in six innings but overall pitched well with 3 strike outs, 4 hits and no points lost.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com