Rios Wins KBO MVP Award
Daniel Rios (Doosan) became the second foreign player to win the Korean Baseball League MVP award Wednesday since Tyrone Woods (Doosan) won in 1998.
Rios made his appearance at the award venue some 50 minutes before the commencement of the ceremony. As usual he took the subway to Jamsil and was driven to the venue by his teams front office personnel.
He had a strong season this year, and he shifted his play into a higher gear day in and day out. Fans lined up to meet him in person, and Rios wrapped his arm around every one of them to pose for pictures.
In the early stages, votes continued to pour in for all five MVP candidates. But as any true KBO fan expected, Rios won by a landslide. Rios said, Its not like I can do something about whom fans vote for, so I just sat back and relaxed throughout the process.
He delivered a speech befitting of a 22 win pitcher. He said, This is a wonderful symbol of acceptance and a reward for my dedication to the game. He added, Pitchers cant win games without their catchers. My teammates, the coaching staff, and the front office won this award together. He expressed his regret and disappointment at losing the Korean Series finals as well, saying, I wish there was a way to trade this award for the championship title.
The biggest question is whether he will stay in Doosan. Throughout the playoffs, the staff of the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles has been monitoring him in action, possibly to scout him. Rios said, Well see what the Doosan front office has to offer first. He added, Right now I just want to return to the States and chill out at Miami beach.
Rios will be flying back to the States on November 1, and will begin negotiations with Doosan through his agent the following month.
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