3 Koreans Make Classic All-Star Team

Park Chan-ho (San Diego Padres), Lee Seung-yeop (Yomiuri), and Lee Jong-beom (Kia) from the Korean national baseball team were selected to the World Baseball Classic (WBC) All-Star Team yesterday.

The three were named by a 16-member media panel people who selected nine fielders, including pinch hitters, and three pitchers to the team.

Park joins an all-star pitching staff that includes Japan’s Daisuke Matsuzaka, who recorded three saves and a 0.00 ERA in the WBC, and Yadel Marti of Cuba, who pitched 12.6 innings and allowed no runs.

Lee Seung-yeop, with his five homeruns and ten RBIs, was named the tournament’s top first baseman, beating out Albert Pujols (Dominican Republic), Harvey Lopez (Puerto Rico), Mark Teixeira (U.S.), and Michihiro Ogasawara (Japan).

Outfielder Lee Jong-beom also became an all star with his .400 batting average (10 hits in 25 at bats), and six doubles. The remaining two outfielder positions went to Ichiro Suzuki and Ken Griffey Jr.

Although there is no team pitching award category, the Korean pitching staff recorded the best per game ERA (2.00) and proved itself to be the world’s stingiest mound corps in the WBC. Koo Dae-sung set a record as well by taking the mound five times during the tournament.

uni@donga.com