As the 2024 KBO season progresses, here is a look at the top news and notes from the past week in Korea’s highest level of professional baseball.
Kia Tiger’s Kim Do-Yeong Hits for the Cycle
It was a fantastic night for 20-year-old Kim Do-Yeong, who became the first player this KBO season to hit for the cycle last Tuesday in an 8-1 win against the NC Dinos. According to Dan Kurtz on X, the third baseman and shortstop is the second-youngest player to hit for the cycle in KBO history.
Kim hit an infield single in the bottom of the first, doubled in the third, tripled to left-center field in the fifth, and homered in the sixth to complete the cycle. Yonhap News Agency reported that Kim is just the second player in KBO history to accomplish a “natural cycle,” To qualify for a “natural cycle,” a player must hit a single, double, triple, and home run in that exact order.
Kim became the first player in KBO history to record ten home runs and ten stolen bases in one month this April. He has hit 28 home runs and stolen 29 bases in 98 games in 2024.
Venezuelan RHP Elieser Hernandez Joins LG Twins
After parting ways with KBO veteran pitcher Casey Kelly last week, the LG Twins agreed to a contract with Venezuelan right-handed pitcher Elieser Hernandez, who posted a combined 6.32 ERA in nine games with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers in 2024.
Hernandez appeared to have a bright future with the Miami Marlins, making his MLB debut with the club in 2018 at 23. Now 29, Hernandez seeks an opportunity to represent the Twins, similar to Casey Kelly, who was the winning pitcher of the 2023 Korean Series for the Twins.
Hernandez’s contract with the LG Twins will not be his first professional appearance outside the United States. He has nine games of experience in Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional with the Aguilas de Zulia (2017-18) and Tiburones de la Guaira (2023-24).
NC Dinos Seek New Foreign Pitcher
On Monday, the NC Dinos announced they had placed former Miami Marlins left-handed pitcher Daniel Castano on waivers. Castano managed serviceable numbers in 19 starts for the Dinos, posting a 4.35 ERA with 89 strikeouts in 111.2 innings.
Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net reported on his X account that the Dinos negotiated with a new foreign pitcher on Monday. KBO teams are allowed a maximum of three foreign players on the roster at one time, and up to two can be pitchers.
The Dinos may have already found Castano’s replacement. Kurtz continued to mention the Korean news site Sports Naver, which reported that the pitcher the Dinos might be interested in is former longtime Kiwoom Heroes righty Eric Jokisch. Jokisch appeared in four games with the Chicago Cubs in 2014 and joined Kiwoom in 2019 after minor league stints with the Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Oakland Athletics.
This Day in Korean Baseball History
On July 29, 2001, South Korean relief pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim’s 13.2-inning shutout streak ended on a two-run home run by Marvin Bernard of the San Francisco Giants. Kim was the closer for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001 when the organization won its first and only World Series championship.
Also, in July 2001, Kim faced 36 consecutive batters without allowing a hit until Ben Davis of the San Diego Padres doubled against the submarine pitcher on July 25.
Kim played nine seasons in MLB from 1999-2007, played one season in NPB with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in 2011, four seasons in the KBO with the Nexen Heroes and Kia Tigers from 2012-15, and finished his professional baseball career in the Australian Baseball League during the 2018-19 season with the Melbourne Aces.
KBO Standings as of Monday, July 29
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Photo Credit: Pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim #49 of the Arizona Diamondbacks sits on the mound after giving up a two run home run to Scott Brosius of the New York Yankees to tie the game in the ninth inning during game five of the Major League Baseball World Series at Yankee Stadium in New York, New York. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Al Bello/ALLSPORT
