Lee Seung-yup, 4th Challenge for Super Star

Will Lee Sung-yup ascend to the throne of 4th MVP pennant race? Who will become the rookie king?

The curiosity will be solved at 14th. At 8th, Korean Baseball Organization announced the candidates for MVP and the rookie king of regular season.

Lee Sung-yup, Mark (Kia), Cahng Sung-ho(Kia), Shim Jung-soo (Hyundai) and Song Jin-woo (Hanwha) are candidates for MVP. Cho Young-jun (Hyundai), Kim Jin-woo (Kia), Park young-taek (LG) are the candidates for the rookie king.

In MVP, Lee Seung-yup is estimated to run alone. He recorded 47 home runs, 126 runs batted in (RBI), 123 points and 0.689 long batting, etc obtained 4 kinds of battings. Particularly, in RBI, he recorded 126 RBI by broking his record 123 in 1999. It is a historical record in the season.

Chang Seung-ho (Kia), obtained two titles of the batting champion (batting average: 0.343), the rate of reaches base safely (0.445), is the rival, but Lee is in advantaged position. Additionally, lee contributed to the team to be champion in regular season.

In pitcher sides, Mark (19 wins), Son Jin-woo (18 wins) are strong candidates. Mark is the first most wins foreign king who records most wins among foreign players.

The rookie king is very difficult to forecast who will be compared to MVP. Cho Young-jun, Kim Jin-woo and park Young-teak showed good plays in this year. Cho Young-jun recorded most save points (37SP) is assessed having performed his position even though he is a new player without difficulties. He was focused with ‘slider likely straight’ of 140km in this season in baseball society.

Kim Jin-woo, ‘super rookie’ of the highest loyalty of 700 million won for high school graduate, recorded 12 wins, 11 defeats and average earned run of 4.07, and contributed to Kia`s mound. He obtained strikeout king with record of 177 strikeouts with 150 km speed pitching. It was the first time for a new player to be strike out king.

However, he made some mistakes in play-off game against LG. It is his weakness to be the rookie king. Press reporters vote considering the records in regular season. However, they consider the play in post-season de facto.

On the contrary, Park Young-teak recorded a batting average of 0.288, 8 homeruns and 55 RBIs in regular season and was assessed below the two players mentioned previously. However, he showed very impressive play in 5th play-off game with 2 homeruns, etc.

Nobody can deny his contribution for LG having advanced in Korean League, and he becomes the rookie king.

MVP who is decided by press reporter at 14th will receive golden baseball, bat trophy worth of 20 million won, and new rookie king will receive trophy and prize money of 2 million won.

Sang-Soo Kim ssoo@donga.com