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.
Shin-soo Choo Makes History With Stolen Base
SSG Lander’s 42-year-old outfielder Shin-soo Choo stole 157 bases in his 16-year Major League Baseball career. Nothing may be more memorable than his Friday stolen base against the Doosan Bears.
Choo, now primarily a designated hitter due to his age, became the oldest player in KBO history to swipe a base, sliding into second safely with ease. Choo did not play in the KBO before his MLB days, signing a contract with the Seattle Mariners at 18 in 2001.
Choo’s stolen base was his fifth this year and the 51st of his four-year KBO career. Remarkably, he stole a career-high 25 bases at 38 with the Landers in 2021. Choo set a career-high for stolen bases during his MLB career with the Cleveland Guardians in 2010 with 22.
Panamanian Pitcher Shines for Kiwoom
Ariel Jurado, a starting pitcher of Panamanian descent for the Kiwoom Heroes, dominated SSG Lander’s hitters for eight innings last Thursday. Jurado threw eight shutout frames in a 3-0 Kiwoom victory, allowing six hits while striking out six.
Jurado, 28, signed with the Texas Rangers as an international free agent in 2012. He made 44 combined appearances with the Rangers from 2018-19 before a trade to the New York Mets in 2020. Jurado made only one start with the Mets in 2020, giving up five earned runs in four innings.
Jurado missed the 2021 season due to Tommy John Surgery before signing a minor league pact with the Minnesota Twins in 2022. In his second season in South Korea with the Heroes, Jurado is an essential piece in Kiwoom’s starting rotation. He re-signed with the organization this past winter after an impressive performance in 2023, posting an 11-8 record with a 2.65 ERA.
Kiwoom Wishes Ronnie Dawson Speedy Recovery
Before Thursday’s Kiwoom Heroes game, the organization held a pre-game celebration to offer well wishes to their outfielder Ronnie Dawson, who is out for the season with an injured ACL.
Dawson signed autographs for 50 lucky fans, and the Heroes gave the outfielder multiple gifts to show their appreciation for the American from Grove City, Ohio. Kiwoom presented Dawson with a bouquet and a jersey signed by the entire team. According to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO Stats on X, Dawson returned to the United States on August 9 to evaluate what is necessary to recover from his ACL injury.
Before his injury, Dawson hit .330 with a .907 OPS and 11 home runs in 95 games. He made three appearances for the Houston Astros in 2021 and one appearance for the Cincinnati Reds in 2022.
This Day in Korean Baseball History
On August 12, 2023, South Korean San Diego Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim’s 16-game hitting streak ended. Kim recorded at least one hit a game from July 24 to August 11.
Kim’s 16-game hitting streak tied Shin-soo Choo for a South Korean player’s longest hitting streak in MLB history. According to MLB.com, Kim’s streak was the fifth-longest hitting streak of the 2023 MLB season.
Kim, 28, is in his fourth season in MLB with the San Diego Padres and won three KBO Golden Glove Awards from 2018 to 20 with the Kiwoom Heroes.
KBO Standings as of Monday, August 12
Watch KBO games using the global streaming platform SOOP.
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WBN KBO: https://worldbaseball.com/league/south-korea/
Photo Credit: Outfilder Choo Shin-Soo #17 of SSG Landers bats in the bottom of the first inning during the KBO League game between SSG Landers and Lotte Giants at Munhak Stadium on April 04, 2021 in Incheon, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/Getty Images)
