Samsung hitter Park Byung-ho already worth this year's salary

Korea's Samsung Lions needed a right-handed power hitter, and Park Byung-ho (age 38) wanted a place where he could play freely. The one-for-one trade on May 28, exchanging Park Byung-ho and Oh Jae-il between Samsung Lions and KT Wiz, turned out to be a win-win for both Samsung and Park Byung-ho.

On Friday, Park Byung-ho played as the cleanup hitter and first baseman in a home game against LG Twins at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. In the bottom of the second inning, he hit a 126 km/h curveball from LG's starting pitcher Casey Kelly far over the left-field fence. It was his eighth home run of the season and the 388th of his career. Including the 12 home runs he hit in Major League Baseball (MLB) with Minnesota, it was also his 400th career home run across Korean and American professional baseball.

Samsung won the game 6-3, making Park Byung-ho's home run the game-winning shot. Before the start of this midweek three-game series, Samsung swept all three games against the leading LG, entering the competition for first place.

Park Byung-ho, who receives a salary of 700 million Korean won this year, had a tough time at KT, falling behind in the competition for the starting position. However, after donning Samsung's blue uniform, he regained his old form as a clutch hitter. He started hitting home runs from his first game after the trade on May 29. Although the team lost that game, it was a confidence booster for Park.

Since then, Park has hit four more home runs, and Samsung won all four of those games. On May 31 against Hanwha Eagles, he hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning. On June 1 against Hanwha, he hit a decisive three-run homer in the first inning. On June 9 against Kiwoom Heroes, he launched a three-run homer in the seventh inning to seal the victory. Since joining Samsung, he has a batting average of .280, with five home runs and 12 RBIs.


Heon-Jae Lee uni@donga.com