2 Korean baseball stars take Dodger Stadium by storm

It couldn’t be better.

It was the first time that Choo Shin-soo with the Cincinnati Reds enjoyed rounds of big applauses from fans at an away game. The Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California on Sunday (Korea time), where Cincinnati faced off the LA Dodgers looked as if it was a baseball park in Korea. Nearly half of the audience filling to capacity at the stadium was Korean Americans and Koreans. The accreditation cards the LA Dodgers issued to Korean reporters exceeded 90. A total of more than 150 reporters were in attendance to cover the game, making the mood on par with that of a playoff match. The mood thus effectively justified the remarks “I cannot concentrate on exercise here in LA because I get so distracted” by Choo, who has been playing only with a "small market team (a team based in a small city)."

The matchup between the Dodgers pitcher and the Reds batter from Korea was different from past ones between a batter and a pitcher from Korea, because Ryu and Choo are in the zenith of their professional baseball careers. A reporter with the Los Angeles Times asked this reporter to explain how the Ryu-Choo match is different from past games between Korean players,” as he focused on the mood at the baseball stadium. The highlight unfolded after the top of the fifth inning.

The fever escalated at the stadium when the Dodgers aired a scene of Korean Americans, Hispanics and American fans dancing “horse-riding dance” to the rhythm of Korean pop sensation Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” Then, the camera zoomed in Psy sitting in the luxury box, further escalating the feverish mood among the fans. The Korean rapper also briefly displayed his flagship horse-riding dance briefly, responding to the fans’ expectations.

The LA Dodger Stadium was taken by storm of hallyu or popular Korean pop culture. Sitting by Psy was actor Song Seung-heon. Retired veteran actor Kim Se-yoon was also seen watching the game at the stadium. It was the first time ever that a baseball stadium in the U.S. was awash with fever of Korean Americans. Ryu and Choo demonstrated their truly massive influence.

Though Dodgers ended up winning the home game, both Ryu and Choo looked excited. Ryu gave a separate interview session in Korean for Korean reporters after a session for American reporters. The Cincinnati Reds also guided Choo to LA Dodgers’ press room and did a favor to Korean reporters. An American reporter asked Ryu if he met Choo and had a meal together, and “who paid?” Ryu replied, “The owner paid,” driving reporters to burst into laughter en masse.

“I could afford not to be wary of my faceoff with Shin-soo. I felt nervous,” Ryu said. “Since he has power and the capacity to contact the ball, I made bet with a fastball at my first pitch, and I lost my ball control and allowed him a walk.”

“Today’s game was ruled by Hyun-jin. I often refer to video footages and documents before a game, but when I actually encounter a pitcher, the situation changes,” Choo said. “It was my first encounter with Ryu. At my second at bat, he pitched changeup as his second pitch, which a pitcher rarely pitches to a left-handed batter. I thought it was a fastball. I ended up hitting grounder because I swing belatedly. I had strikeout in the sixth inning.”

“I was in good physical condition. I had good control of not only fastballs but also changeups,” Ryu said after displaying outstanding pitching at the game. As for breaking ball, which his manager Donald Mattingly advised him to improve further, Ryu said, “When pitching a changeup, I intentionally focused on angle than speed, and I gained good results.”

Commenting on Major League pitcher Ryu, Choo said, “Records illustrate his performance. He is a great pitcher, who is qualified enough to serve as second or third starter not only against Dodgers but also against other teams.”

The Ryu-Choo match is the best among the games between a Korean batter and a Korean pitcher that has been staged at the Major League baseball. Even American media were positively surprised.

“I was very touched by professional interviews the two players offered after the game,” Japanese reporter Koji Bonkobara, who covers the Dodgers. “We had a wonderful match,” he said, gesturing thumbs up.