Kim Byoung-hyun creates strange incident after returning to Korea

“What? Will Kim Byoung-hyun play for Kia?”

Having made a temporary trip to Korea for a Chinese cure for his hip and back through Incheon International Airport on May 27, Kim Byoung-hyun (25-year-old, Boston Red Sox, photo) made an astonishing statement hinting he was heading for Kia, his hometown team, making the cellular phones of team staff busy.

Kim replied, “I will do my best wherever I will be. Baseball has been everything. I will do my best although I play for Kia,” when he was asked about trade rumors. He also answered: “I might have to join through a tryout,” in response to the statement: “The procedure will be complicated if you want to play for Kia.”

Kia is welcoming Kim’s remark. General Manager Jeong Jae-gong said, “I am excited when I just think about a super star like Kim playing for my team. The gate is always open for him if his will is solid and the related conditions are satisfied.”

But the statement of Kim is idle talk which can’t be realized. First of all, Kim is not capable of joining a domestic team for two years. This is because a player who went abroad after 1999 is prohibited from playing on the domestic stage for two years after coming back to Korea. Kim joined Arizona in February of 1999.

In addition, Kia has no prior rights to Kim. Kia picked him up as high-school-graduate rookie in the second round of 1997, but Kim went to Seong-Kyunkwan University and departed for the U.S. two years after, therefore the nomination expired. Consequently, Kim has to appear in a second-nomination round in which eight teams can select him in reverse order of standings.

Kim also hit the jackpot of 10 million dollars (approximately 12 billion won) for two years starting this year. No one could acquire him paying that price. After all, the comment of Kim was another silly happening.

Meanwhile, Kim unexpectedly didn’t hide from dashing reporters and even made a joke. “I can’t throw as fast as I did in the past because my tire is punctured,” he said, bringing a comfortable ambience to his interview. “I will stay in Korea for ten days at the longest.”

Hwan Soo Zang zangpabo@donga.com