It`s a Golden Age for `Lefties`

In short, it is the `ruling era of the lefties`.

Among 457 KBO registered professional baseball players, 90 players are lefties. If the 5 switch hitters and 9 right-throwing-left-hitting players are included, the number is still a mere 104 players.

Although it is already an increased number comparing to the beginning days of the professional baseball, the ratio of the lefties is still about 22.8 percent.

However, one should not ignore them and count the mere statistics, especially this year. If one sees the Batting Average Ranking up until 27th, at the end of the season, he/she will be astounded by the final results.

As the `imported seagull` Jose (0.356.Lotte), a switch hitter whose left-handed hitting average is much higher than right-handed hitting average, Shim Jae-Hak (0.353. Doosan), and Herera (0.348. SK) are competing for the leading hitter title. Among top-ten hitters, nine players are lefties except the ninth Brito (SK). Lee Soong-Yong, who took the 11th spot, and the 12th spot Jang Sung-Ho, are lefties as well.

Besides, the fixed notion that homerun king title is only for the right-handed hitters has already been broken a long time ago. As the `Lion King` Lee Seng-Yup (Samsung) and Jose are sharing the homerun leader spot (31 homeruns), in the slugging-percentage category, Jose, Lee Seng-Yup, Shim Jae-Hak, and Davis (Hanwha), all lefties, have put their names on the list.

With Chung Su-Geun leading the stolen base category, left-handed hitters are at the top in all eight hitting categories.

Although lefty pitchers tend to be inferior to right handed pitchers, a second year high-school graduate, Ma Ill-Young, (Hyundai) is leading the wining percentage category (0.833), and Lee Seng-Ho is taking the second spot in strikeouts (135 strikeouts) recording 10 wins. Cha Myung-Ju (Doosan) is also taking the first place in hold (14 holds).

In the U.S. Major League, a strong `lefty wind` is blowing as well. Even though the `left-handed hitters were regarded as the accurate hitters rather than the sluggers since Babe Ruth, the `Legendary Homerun King`, retired in early 20th century, in the National League, Barry Bonds (San Francisco) is leading the homerun ranking with 56 homers, and Luis Gonzalez (Arizona) is taking the third spot with 48 homeruns. Suzuki Ichiro (0.347. Seattle), the leading hitter of the American League, is a lefty as well.

Zang Hwan-Soo zangpabo@donga.com