Wyverns, Dragons Clash for Bragging Rights

By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter

The fate of the Asian baseball kingdom might be determined by a clash of two legendary winged reptilian creatures competing for the throne.

Korean Series champions SK Wyverns are set for a showdown with Japanese champions Chunichi Dragons today in the opener of the Konami Cup Asia Series at the Tokyo Dome in an ultimate battle for bragging rights.

The Nov. 8-11 tournament features the league champions from South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, and the best players from China, with the top two teams clashing in the final Sunday.

The Wyverns and Dragons are considered a level above Taiwan's Uni-President Lions and China's China Stars, which means that the winner of today's opener would be a good bet to win it all.

``We have a lot of young talents but only two players who have ever played in the Tokyo Dome. I have big expectations for our 18-year-old starter Kim Kwang-hyun in this tournament,'' said Wyverns manager Kim Sung-kun, who participated in the inaugural Konami Cup in 2005 as a coach for Japan's Chiba Lotte Marines.

``Korean baseball teams haven't played well in the last two Konami Cups and it would be great if we become the first team to bring home the trophy,'' he said.

Manager Kim has southpaw Kim Kwang-hyun marked up as the starter against the Dragons, apparently to match up against Chunichi's left-heavy lineup, featuring the likes of Morino Masahiko and South Korean Lee Byung-gyu. The Dragons biggest threat from the right side of the plate comes from Norihiro Nakamura, the Japan Series MVP who belted 20 home runs in the regular season.

Kim is certainly relieved that the Dragons will be without two of their top hitters ― free agent and Major League Baseball (MLB) prospect Kosuke Fukudome and American slugger Tyrone Woods.

Kwang-hyun, one of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO)'s top-rated rookies entering this year, went through a disappointing regular season, but redeemed himself with dominant pitching in the Korean Series, outdueling 22-game winner and regular season MVP Daniel Rios of the Doosan Bears in Game 4 by taking a shutout into the eighth inning.

Relying on Rookie Starter

Kwang-hyun, who mixes a fastball that touches 150 kmph with a sweeping curve and an average slider, could be dominant on days when his fastball is hitting the spots. A few missed calls on the corners, however, can easily take the air out of him.

Should Kwang-hyun implode on the mound, veteran reliever Cho Woong-chun, who pitches from a side-armed angle, and closer Chung Dae-hyun, a submariner with extensive international experience, will be called upon to save the day despite their deficiency against left-handed hitters.

The quality of pitching is crucial considering the tournament's venue of the Tokyo Dome, a hitter's ballpark where a seemingly harmless pop at the plate could turn into an adventure near the warning tracks.

Teams will also be using ``Mizuno 150'' balls during the tournament, which are harder than the balls used during the regular season in Korea.

Kim seems intent on saving his top three starters ― George Rayborn, Michael Romano and Chei Byung-yong ― for the games against the Lions, China Stars and possibly for the finals, which gives him some room to gamble with Kwang-hyun in the opener.

The Dragons' speed and aggressiveness on the bases could also give headaches to Kim, who struggled to cope with a similar type of team in the Bears in the Korean Series. The Dragons' Masahiro Araki and Hirokazu Ibata combined to steal 55 bases in the regular season, and preventing them from getting on base would be a priority for the Wyverns.

Wyverns catcher Park Kyung-oan has an above-average arm to first and second, but it doesn't help that the team's bullpen is dominated by soft tossers, who rely heavily on slow and deceptive pitching motions, which comprise their abilities with runners on base.

Preventing the Dragons from scoring is one problem, scoring against them is completely another. The Dragons own what is considered among the best starting rotations in Japan, led by Kenshin Kawakami (12-8), Kenta Asakura (12-7) and Kenichi Nakata (14-8).

The team's fourth starter, Daisuke Yamai (6-4), took a perfect game into the eight inning in Game 5 of the Japan Series, before being relieved going into the ninth. Right-handed reliever Shinya Okamoto and left-handed closer Hitoki Iwase combine for a formidable shutdown combo in the late innings.

Hitting Depth

It doesn't help that the Wyverns' lineup lacks disciplined hitters who can drive up pitch counts. Jeung Keun-woo and Cho Dong-hwa are top-of-the-order hitters who are curiously allergic to drawing walks. Sluggers Lee Ho-joon and Park Jae-hong have never been known for their patience at the plate, and Kim could only hope that journeyman outfielder Kim Jae-hyun continues his Babe Ruth impersonations during the Korean Series.

``Chunichi has great pitchers, so we need to capitalize on our scoring opportunities. If we can squeeze out some runs with our speed on the bases, that would be a big help,'' Cho said.

The annual East Asian international baseball tournament is played among the champions of South Korea's Korean Series, Japan's Japan Series, Taiwan's Taiwan Series and the China Stars, an all-star lineup of players from the China Baseball League.

thkim@koreatimes.co.kr

[Full Article: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2007/11/136_13308.html]