DAEGU– Utility infielder Park Gye-beom switched clubs last winter, leaving the Samsung Lions, the team that drafted him in 2013, for the Doosan Bears as a compensation pick following the Lions’ signing of ex-Bear slugger Oh Jae-il as a free agent.
Park thrived on his new club this year. He appeared in a career-high 118 games while playing three different infield positions. And he played better against the Lions than any other team in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), with a .385 batting average, three extra-base hits, seven RBIs and two steals.
And starting Tuesday night at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, the Bears and the Lions will play in a best-of-three playoff series. Samsung manager Huh Sam-young said in a pregame interview that Park was one of the players he was worried about.
When informed of that comment, Park flashed a sheepish grin and said, “I think he was just trying to make me feel good, because I used to play for him.”
“I think I’ve done well against Samsung because I’ve been lucky,” Park added.
Park has more than held his own in his first postseason. He batted 3-for-10 in the previous round against the LG Twins and played steady defense as the Bears’ new starting shortstop, usurping seasoned veteran Kim Jae-ho.
“Postseason games are definitely far more stressful than regular season games,” Park said. “But I am trying to enjoy each and every game.”
Park isn’t a speedster by any means, and stole only four bases in seven tries in the regular season. But two of those swipes came against the Lions.
The Bears as a whole have been running like their tail is on fire. They’ve stolen eight bags while getting caught just twice in five postseason games so far.
Samsung catcher Kang Min-ho, who gunned down 27 percent of would-be stealers to rank 14th in the regular season, said Tuesday he is confident he can contain Doosan’s running game.
“My pitchers and I will be ready to keep them in check,” Kang said. “(Game 1 starter) David Buchanan has a great slide step. When he’s on the mound, it won’t be easy for those guys to run. As long as he doesn’t let his guard down and I make accurate throws, we can nab base stealers.”
Buchanan didn’t allow any steal attempt last year. Four runners ran on the right-hander this year and they all succeeded.
Kang said he was more concerned about the Bears’ power. Daegu Samsung Lions Park has angled power alleys — left-center and right-center sections — that are only 107 meters from home plate, 5 meters shorter than even the club’s old stadium.
“We have to keep their boppers in the park,” Kang said. “We played some tough games late in the regular season but we are well rested. Our pitchers are all ready to go.”
The Bears, as the fourth seed, played wild card games and the best-of-three first round, but the Lions, after posting the second-best regular season record, earned a bye to the second round. Their last game was on Oct. 31.
Source: Yonhap News Agency