Well it's Monday. The one off day in the KBO. Nobody's playing today and to tell you the truth I'm not sure if that's good news or bad news for the Kia Tigers this year. They are a riddle packed in a mystery wrapped in an enigma. It's not a mystery why or how they're losing, at least not in my opinion, but it's always fun to watch them to see what style Coach Jo is gonna play: Tigerball or Chickenball. On days when the order of the universe seems to be against his addiction to careful baseball, or when there is just one of those offensive explosions that even chickenball can't stop, he allows the batters to swing away and doesn't mess around with the bunt and one base at a time, station to station, holding guys up baseball. And the Tigers just add on to the lead. But at other times fate allows him to put his tired baseball strategy into action and the team looks like a bunch of sled dogs chained to posts. They won't quit. They'll run around in circles forever but they just won't get anywhere.
Ever watch one of those games when your team just DESTROYS the other team by like 10 runs and you wish you could take some of those runs and use them for a few earlier games that they lost by one or two runs? That almost always happens to teams that are more concerned with not losing than they are with winning. Teams that fear the other team getting double plays; fear the other team stealing; fear getting caught stealing; fear getting thrown out at 3rd or home; fear the batter missing the ball and the runner not making it to second on the hit-and-run; fear the OTHER team hitting-and-running successfully and the list goes on and on. That fear goes away only when the team is up by a lot of runs. THEN the coach allows them to play ball. And in almost every case, they play better. The players, not the coach, win the game. But coaches want to look like they are more than just fly shaggers and talent scouts. They like to make games look like they were won by strategy. Especially, (I've found), in Asia. Well Japan and Korea anyway.
I would hate to be a player on a team like this because it's frustrating being held back but it's even more frustrating when you realize it's sometimes because the coach simply thinks the other team is better than you. Basically. I could go into all the many things that I see Jo is afraid of the other team doing but doesn't allow his own team to do but that would get awfully technical. The bottom line is when the Tigers are allowed to play ball they are the best in the league. Jo is complicating his job by overthinking it. Just swing away every time. But then it will look too much like his job was easy and he won't be thought of as a baseball mastermind. Ugh, please.
Anyway here's what happened in the week that was for the Tigers.
April 28th - the game started well for Lopez but the SK pitcher was going well too. It is probably a blessing it didn't come down to our bullpen versus their's. Game was rained out.
April 29th - Amazingly, (although I don't know why I'm amazed at anything Jo does any more), struggling, young pitcher Jeon Tae Hyun was thrown out onto the mound against the best team in the league. I went to this game and asked the guys beside me who the opposing pitcher Kim Gwang Hyun was and they told me he was a Korean national team member. Also, Lee Yong Gyu, Kim Weon Seop and Kim Sang Hyun, batters 1,2 and 4 were not playing. The coach had aparently thrown in the towel before the first pitch so I was glad to be there supporting the Tigers. But the result was predictable. Jeon was pulled early. But the bullpen did remarkably well to only lose by 3 runs. The Tigers only got 4 hits all night but they probably knew this was a night off too. It was a dead boring game and I was glad to be drinking. I know there was one cancelled game but it's pretty demoralizing for fans when your team doesn't even score a run in a three-game series against the hated Wyverns. Especially when the coach just calls in the last game. Final score Wyverns 3 Tigers 0.
April 30th - Seo Jae Eung, who was supposed to be pitching against the Wyverns the day before but who the coach didn't seem to think would have won that game, was pitching. He's been better and better every start and he kept up his steady play. He wasn't spectacular giving up 3 runs, 5 hits and 3 walks in his 5 innings, (and even hitting a guy), but it was good enough for the win. Or should have been. He left after the 5th and the Tigers made it 4-3 in the top of the 6th. He was still looking good for the win. But Kwag Jung Cheol pitched crappily enough to cost Seo the win he deserves so much, but good enough to get it for himself when the Tigers got 4 runs in the 9th. VERY encouraging coaching game for the Tigers and it started immediately. In the first, Lee Yong Gyu got aboard to start the game and there was no knee-jerk bunt called. Hitter number 2, Kim Weon Seop got a two run homer! Then in the 6th Kim Weon Seop got a leadoff single. The next batter wasn't told to sac bunt and worked a walk. Next batter, An Chi Hong, wasn't told to bunt either and got a 2-run double! I guarantee you if the usual B.S. bunts had been called in these situations the Tigers would have lost this game. But happily they won. Is Jo learning? Is he reading this blog? Final score Kia 8 Lotte 4.
May 1st - Okay I've said this before but THIS is a landmark game in the Tigers' season! To this point in the season the coaching staff seemed reluctant to let the team play ball but for the second night in succession the Tigers were let loose. And what a difference that makes! Yang Hyun Jong got the win but on this night they could have picked a starting pitcher from the crowd and won. Kim Weon Seop had 4 hits, An Chi Hong had four hits, Choi Hee Seop had a perfect night at the plate with 3 hits, 3 walks, (2 intentional), a homer and 5 RBI's. Every starter got at least one hit and the team had a total of 20. Do I need to say that I don't remember seeing a single sacrifice bunt the whole night? This is TIGERball! Let's keep it up! Final score: Kia 15 Lotte 7.
May 2nd - Lopez vs. Sadorski. The battle of the waygooks. It was a close one. Lopez went 8 innings. He wasn't great giving up 4 runs and 11 hits but he left with a 4-4 tie. How many times have I typed this? On comes Son Young Min and he gives up the 5th run for the Giants. Although I was watching this game I am not sure how it happened. The TV's all went to news coverage. So nobody knows for SURE that the Tigers lost this game except the people at the Lotte Giant stadium and if the Giants lost do you think any of them would tell? Na Ji Weon got a homer and Choi Hee Seop continued his hot streak going 2/5. Final score Giants 5 Tigers 4.
Looking forward to next week when just MAYBE the Tigers will be allowed to play some ball. We can only hope.
Kia FIGHTING!
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