2007 Korean Series
Encyclopedia
The 2007 Korean Series began on Monday, the 22nd of October, at the Munhak Baseball Stadium
in Incheon
. It featured the SK Wyverns
, who had claimed home ground advantage by finishing in first place at the end of the season, and the Doosan Bears
, who had finished second and had swept the Hanhwa Eagles
in a best-of-5 playoff series to advance to the next round. The SK Wyverns
won the series in six games, after becoming the first team in Korean Series
history to claim victory after losing the first two games. The series was also notable for the inability of teams to win at their home grounds (just one home victory out of the six games) and for some unsavory and aggressive incidents between the two teams that marred the first three games.
, Incheon
The first game of the series began at the home stadium of the Wyverns, but they failed to take advantage as Doosan completed a 2-0 shutout victory, thanks to the pitching of their ace Daniel Rios
. Kenny Rayburn started for the Wyverns but was unable to emulate Rios's feat of giving up only 4 hits and 1 walk. The game also saw two instances of Doosan batters being struck by pitches, which would become an issue in the next game.
Doosan scored their first run in the first inning. Lee Jong-wook
was the lead-off runner, and Ko Young-min
drove him in with a double. They added to their score in the fifth, when Lee walked in again off a Kim Dong-joo
sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Rayburn lasted six innings, with five more pitchers coming out of the bullpen over the next three innings to try to keep the score at 2-0. Rios, with a superb performance, pitched the full nine innings, throwing 99 pitches to get the win.
, Incheon
Doosan took a 2-0 lead in the series with the aid of some strong batting and some sloppy Wyverns defensive work. An incident occurred before the game started, with Doosan officials suspecting that the Wyverns had hidden a camera beneath the first base fence to steal signs, which was later proven false as the 'camera' turned out to be a sewer. Tensions spilled onto the field as three more Doosan batters were struck by pitches, making a total of five over the two games. Benches cleared in the sixth inning when Doosan batter Kim Dong-joo
was struck by a pitch from starter Chae Byeong-yong, delaying the game for six minutes. The incident proved to be a turning point, as Doosan scored three more runs in the inning to achieve the final scoreline of 6-3.
The game began well for SK as first-baseman Lee Ho-jun hit a two-run home run in the first to put the score at 2-0. Doosan responded in the third with a two-run shot of their own from second-baseman Ko Young-min
. They took the lead in the fifth with another home run when catcher Chae Sang-byung
scored with two out to give Doosan a slender advantage. SK fought back almost immediately with the fourth and final home run of the game off the bat of left-fielder Cho Dong-hwa. In the top of the sixth, Ko Young-min
reached first with a lead-off single, and advanced to second after Kim Dong-joo
was struck by the bench-clearing pitch. A single from former Wyverns shortstop Lee Dae-su got both of them home and Chae Sang-byung
added a sixth when his double scored Lee. Doosan's starter Matt Randall came away with the win.
, Seoul
Doosan returned home to their stadium in Jamsil with a 2-0 series lead. This was significant as no team in Korean Series
history had won after losing the first two games. Based on the form of the teams in the first two games, it looked as though a sweep was inevitable. In this game, however, there was a remarkable reversal of fortunes as SK struck back significantly to win 9-1. Doosan, who had been confident and aggressive in the first two games, suddenly looked hesitant and ineffective.
The Wyverns put slugger Kim Jae-hyeon back into the batting order as their DH, and it immediately paid dividends. Wyverns shortstop Jeong Keun-woo
got on with a lead-off single, and Kim scored him with a double to right field. Park Jae-hong
got Kim home with a single to put the Wyverns up 2-0, the way they had begun in the last game. The pitching duel continued between Wyverns starter Michael Romano and Doosan's Kim Myeong-jae as neither of them allowed any more runs up until the top of the sixth. There, Doosan suddenly imploded, as shortstop Lee Dae-su, who had been hailed for his efforts in the previous two games, made a string of bad errors including dropped catches and mis-judged base throws to allow multiple SK batters to score or get on base. An attempted home steal by Jeong Keun-woo
was also successful as keeper Chae Sang-byung
mishandled a pitch by reliever Lee Hei-chun
, also allowing Cho Dong-hwa to score from second.
Doosan pulled a run back when Ko Young-min
scored Lee Jong-wook
with a single in the bottom of the sixth, but they would not manage to post another run after that, and SK ran out winners with the scoreline substantially in their favor.
, Seoul
Game 4 saw the return of Daniel Rios
for Doosan, and it was widely assumed that his return would restore stability to the team. Meanwhile, SK announced the shock appointment of rookie pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun
in place of expected pitcher Kenny Rayburn who had competed admirably with Rios in the first game. It appeared that SK were going to throw the game, take a 3-1 series deficit against a seemingly un-hittable Rios and fight back with a fresher pitching rotation.
But Kim managed to stage what must be one of the most remarkable performances in the history of the Korean Series
, giving up only one hit in 7⅓ innings. On the other hand, Rios only lasted for five innings, giving up nine hits and three earned runs. Doosan's bullpen reclaimed a hold on the game, but they were unable to score any runs and suffered their first shutout loss of the series.
SK continued their habit of scoring early as Kim Jae-hyeon again opened the scoring with a double to bring in Jeong Keun-woo
in the first. Doosan's bats struggled, only managing to get on base with two walks and a hit over five innings. SK were getting runners most innings, but were unable to take advantage until the fifth, when back-to-back home runs from Cho Dong-hwa and Kim Jae-hyun put them up 3-0. Wyverns third baseman Choi Jeong
made it four when his single brought in Jeong Kyeong-bae who had walked to first and advanced on a bunt from Park Kyung-oan
.
Doosan were unable to fare any better against the Wyverns relievers Cho Woong-cheon and Ka Deuk-yeom, and their hit in the sixth inning remained their only hit for the night.
, Seoul
Game 5 was played on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Jamsil stadium. Kenny Rayburn returned for the Wyverns; he faced Matt Randall. This game turned out to be the most competitive since the first game. Rayburn and Randall each pitched 6 innings giving up no runs; Rayburn had only 3 hits to Randall's 5 but he did give up 6 walks compared to Randall's 2. The game was to be decided by the bullpens, with Cho Woong-cheon coming on for the Wyverns and Im Tae-hoon
for the Bears. Both got through the seventh unscathed, but an error in the top of the eight by second-baseman Ko Young-min
with a misjudged throw to first base allowed lead-off batter Cho Dong-hwa to get onto second. Kim Jae-hyeon continued his excellent post-season form with a massive triple to open the scoring for SK. He was brought in by another Lee Ho-jun double to make the score 2-0. Speedy Kim Kang-min
made it three with yet another double, and after managing to advance to third, walked in for an easy fourth run after a wild pitch from new reliever Lee Hei-chun
rounded out the scoring for the game. SK was now positioned to win the series up three games to two, and with the next two games to be played at their home ground in Incheon. They had completely swung the momentum in their favour, and Doosan had scored only once during the whole three games they had played at home.
, Incheon
Game 6 was to prove the final game of the series as SK became the first team of the 2007 Korean Series
to win a home game. SK went with Chae Byeong-yong, the losing pitcher of game 2, to start, while Doosan went with rookie reliever Im Tae-hoon
in a somewhat surprising role as starting pitcher. Doosan needed a major form reversal to win the game and force a series decider.
They showed their intentions early, managing a run after Kim Hyun-soo
was brought home from second by a Kim Dong-joo
double. They held the lead until the third innings, when the Wyverns young third-baseman Choi Jeong
, who had had a quiet series, managed to get to first, and then a two-run home run by shortstop Jeong Keun-woo
put them in front 2-1. Kim Jae-hyeon turned his great post-season form into spectacular post-season form by adding another with a solo shot in the same innings. The scoreline remained 3-1 when Chae Byeong-yong was taken off after 5½ innings of service to bring in their main post-season reliever Cho Woong-cheon, as Doosan tried to claw back the lead. But they struggled for hits, with only a Hong Sung-heon
double between innings six to eight to show for their efforts, and things got worse for them in the bottom of the eighth as SK added two more runs. Na Ju-hwan got on base and advanced to second with a Part Kyung-oan
grounder, and Choi Jeong
's single was enough to bring him home. The next batter, Jeong Keun-woo
, walked, and a Cho Dong-hwa double brought home Choi and gave a four-run lead to SK, now up 5-1.
Closer Chong Tae-hyon
, who had been brought on in the previous inning, was given the task of closing out the game for the championship win. Doosan rallied though, Hong Sung-heon
leading-off to first and then scoring on a hit from pinch-hitter Yoo Jae-woong. Another pinch-hitter, Jeon Sang-ryeol, scored a double which only got Yoo as far as third, and that brought Lee Jong-wook
to the plate. A home run would have tied up the game and sent it into extra innings, but Chong struck him out to bring the Wyverns their first Korean Series
victory in the history of the franchise. Designated hitter Kim Jae-hyeon was named the series MVP.
Munhak Baseball Stadium
Munhak Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium in Incheon, South Korea. It is the home stadium of SK Wyverns. The stadium holds 28,500 people and was built in 2001. It is adjacent to Incheon Munhak Stadium.- See also :...
in Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
. It featured the SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
, who had claimed home ground advantage by finishing in first place at the end of the season, and the Doosan Bears
Doosan Bears
The Doosan Bears are a professional baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. They are a member of the Korean Baseball Organization....
, who had finished second and had swept the Hanhwa Eagles
Hanhwa Eagles
The Hanwha Eagles , incorporated as the Hanwha Eagles Professional Baseball Club , are a South Korean professional baseball club based in Daejeon. As a member club of Korean Baseball Organization, the Eagles compete in the Korea Professional Baseball League. The Eagles' home ballpark is Daejeon...
in a best-of-5 playoff series to advance to the next round. The SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
won the series in six games, after becoming the first team in Korean Series
Korean Series
The Korean Series is the championship series of the Korea Baseball Organization. It has been held since the KBO's first season in and is the final series of in the post-season play-offs. From , the winner of the Korean Series goes on to play in the Asia Series....
history to claim victory after losing the first two games. The series was also notable for the inability of teams to win at their home grounds (just one home victory out of the six games) and for some unsavory and aggressive incidents between the two teams that marred the first three games.
Game 1, October 22
Munhak Baseball StadiumMunhak Baseball Stadium
Munhak Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium in Incheon, South Korea. It is the home stadium of SK Wyverns. The stadium holds 28,500 people and was built in 2001. It is adjacent to Incheon Munhak Stadium.- See also :...
, Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
The first game of the series began at the home stadium of the Wyverns, but they failed to take advantage as Doosan completed a 2-0 shutout victory, thanks to the pitching of their ace Daniel Rios
Danny Rios
Daniel Rios is a former Major League Baseball and Korea Baseball Organization player. Rios's repertoire included a sharp slider, change-up and fastball around 90 mph.-Youth:...
. Kenny Rayburn started for the Wyverns but was unable to emulate Rios's feat of giving up only 4 hits and 1 walk. The game also saw two instances of Doosan batters being struck by pitches, which would become an issue in the next game.
Doosan scored their first run in the first inning. Lee Jong-wook
Lee Jong-wook
-Memorial award:The South Korean government officially announced the establishment of the a Memorial Prize in Dr. Lee's memory. After his death, You Si min, the Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea, officially revealed the plans concerning the new awards and urged other nations...
was the lead-off runner, and Ko Young-min
Ko Young-Min
Ko Young-Min is a South Korean second baseman who currently plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
drove him in with a double. They added to their score in the fifth, when Lee walked in again off a Kim Dong-joo
Kim Dong-Joo
Kim Dong-Joo is a South Korean third baseman, who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
sacrifice fly with the bases loaded. Rayburn lasted six innings, with five more pitchers coming out of the bullpen over the next three innings to try to keep the score at 2-0. Rios, with a superb performance, pitched the full nine innings, throwing 99 pitches to get the win.
Game 2, October 23
Munhak Baseball StadiumMunhak Baseball Stadium
Munhak Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium in Incheon, South Korea. It is the home stadium of SK Wyverns. The stadium holds 28,500 people and was built in 2001. It is adjacent to Incheon Munhak Stadium.- See also :...
, Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
Doosan took a 2-0 lead in the series with the aid of some strong batting and some sloppy Wyverns defensive work. An incident occurred before the game started, with Doosan officials suspecting that the Wyverns had hidden a camera beneath the first base fence to steal signs, which was later proven false as the 'camera' turned out to be a sewer. Tensions spilled onto the field as three more Doosan batters were struck by pitches, making a total of five over the two games. Benches cleared in the sixth inning when Doosan batter Kim Dong-joo
Kim Dong-Joo
Kim Dong-Joo is a South Korean third baseman, who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
was struck by a pitch from starter Chae Byeong-yong, delaying the game for six minutes. The incident proved to be a turning point, as Doosan scored three more runs in the inning to achieve the final scoreline of 6-3.
The game began well for SK as first-baseman Lee Ho-jun hit a two-run home run in the first to put the score at 2-0. Doosan responded in the third with a two-run shot of their own from second-baseman Ko Young-min
Ko Young-Min
Ko Young-Min is a South Korean second baseman who currently plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
. They took the lead in the fifth with another home run when catcher Chae Sang-byung
Chae Sang-Byung
Chae Sang-Byung is a South Korean catcher who plays for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization.-Amateur career :Chae attended Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea...
scored with two out to give Doosan a slender advantage. SK fought back almost immediately with the fourth and final home run of the game off the bat of left-fielder Cho Dong-hwa. In the top of the sixth, Ko Young-min
Ko Young-Min
Ko Young-Min is a South Korean second baseman who currently plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
reached first with a lead-off single, and advanced to second after Kim Dong-joo
Kim Dong-Joo
Kim Dong-Joo is a South Korean third baseman, who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
was struck by the bench-clearing pitch. A single from former Wyverns shortstop Lee Dae-su got both of them home and Chae Sang-byung
Chae Sang-Byung
Chae Sang-Byung is a South Korean catcher who plays for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization.-Amateur career :Chae attended Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea...
added a sixth when his double scored Lee. Doosan's starter Matt Randall came away with the win.
Game 3, October 25
Jamsil Baseball StadiumJamsil Baseball Stadium
Jamsil Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium in Jamsil 1-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The stadium holds 30,265 people and was built from April 1980 to July 1982. It makes up the Jamsil Sports Complex along with the nearby Seoul Olympic Stadium, and hosted the baseball events during the...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
Doosan returned home to their stadium in Jamsil with a 2-0 series lead. This was significant as no team in Korean Series
Korean Series
The Korean Series is the championship series of the Korea Baseball Organization. It has been held since the KBO's first season in and is the final series of in the post-season play-offs. From , the winner of the Korean Series goes on to play in the Asia Series....
history had won after losing the first two games. Based on the form of the teams in the first two games, it looked as though a sweep was inevitable. In this game, however, there was a remarkable reversal of fortunes as SK struck back significantly to win 9-1. Doosan, who had been confident and aggressive in the first two games, suddenly looked hesitant and ineffective.
The Wyverns put slugger Kim Jae-hyeon back into the batting order as their DH, and it immediately paid dividends. Wyverns shortstop Jeong Keun-woo
Jeong Keun-Woo
Jeong Keun-Woo is a second baseman and shortstop who currently plays for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Amateur career:...
got on with a lead-off single, and Kim scored him with a double to right field. Park Jae-hong
Park Jae-Hong (baseball)
Park Jae-Hong is a South Korean outfielder who currently plays for SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization. Park is currently considered one of the best five-tool players in the KBO league...
got Kim home with a single to put the Wyverns up 2-0, the way they had begun in the last game. The pitching duel continued between Wyverns starter Michael Romano and Doosan's Kim Myeong-jae as neither of them allowed any more runs up until the top of the sixth. There, Doosan suddenly imploded, as shortstop Lee Dae-su, who had been hailed for his efforts in the previous two games, made a string of bad errors including dropped catches and mis-judged base throws to allow multiple SK batters to score or get on base. An attempted home steal by Jeong Keun-woo
Jeong Keun-Woo
Jeong Keun-Woo is a second baseman and shortstop who currently plays for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Amateur career:...
was also successful as keeper Chae Sang-byung
Chae Sang-Byung
Chae Sang-Byung is a South Korean catcher who plays for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization.-Amateur career :Chae attended Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea...
mishandled a pitch by reliever Lee Hei-chun
Lee Hei-Chun
Lee Hei-Chun is a South Korean left-handed relief pitcher who plays for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.-References:*...
, also allowing Cho Dong-hwa to score from second.
Doosan pulled a run back when Ko Young-min
Ko Young-Min
Ko Young-Min is a South Korean second baseman who currently plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
scored Lee Jong-wook
Lee Jong-wook
-Memorial award:The South Korean government officially announced the establishment of the a Memorial Prize in Dr. Lee's memory. After his death, You Si min, the Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea, officially revealed the plans concerning the new awards and urged other nations...
with a single in the bottom of the sixth, but they would not manage to post another run after that, and SK ran out winners with the scoreline substantially in their favor.
Game 4, October 26
Jamsil Baseball StadiumJamsil Baseball Stadium
Jamsil Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium in Jamsil 1-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The stadium holds 30,265 people and was built from April 1980 to July 1982. It makes up the Jamsil Sports Complex along with the nearby Seoul Olympic Stadium, and hosted the baseball events during the...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
Game 4 saw the return of Daniel Rios
Danny Rios
Daniel Rios is a former Major League Baseball and Korea Baseball Organization player. Rios's repertoire included a sharp slider, change-up and fastball around 90 mph.-Youth:...
for Doosan, and it was widely assumed that his return would restore stability to the team. Meanwhile, SK announced the shock appointment of rookie pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun
Kim Kwang-Hyun
Kim Kwang-Hyun is a South Korean left-handed starting pitcher who plays for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization.-Amateur career:...
in place of expected pitcher Kenny Rayburn who had competed admirably with Rios in the first game. It appeared that SK were going to throw the game, take a 3-1 series deficit against a seemingly un-hittable Rios and fight back with a fresher pitching rotation.
But Kim managed to stage what must be one of the most remarkable performances in the history of the Korean Series
Korean Series
The Korean Series is the championship series of the Korea Baseball Organization. It has been held since the KBO's first season in and is the final series of in the post-season play-offs. From , the winner of the Korean Series goes on to play in the Asia Series....
, giving up only one hit in 7⅓ innings. On the other hand, Rios only lasted for five innings, giving up nine hits and three earned runs. Doosan's bullpen reclaimed a hold on the game, but they were unable to score any runs and suffered their first shutout loss of the series.
SK continued their habit of scoring early as Kim Jae-hyeon again opened the scoring with a double to bring in Jeong Keun-woo
Jeong Keun-Woo
Jeong Keun-Woo is a second baseman and shortstop who currently plays for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Amateur career:...
in the first. Doosan's bats struggled, only managing to get on base with two walks and a hit over five innings. SK were getting runners most innings, but were unable to take advantage until the fifth, when back-to-back home runs from Cho Dong-hwa and Kim Jae-hyun put them up 3-0. Wyverns third baseman Choi Jeong
Choi Jeong
Choi Jeong is a third baseman who plays for the SK Wyverns in Korean professional baseball league.-Amateur career:...
made it four when his single brought in Jeong Kyeong-bae who had walked to first and advanced on a bunt from Park Kyung-oan
Park Kyung-Oan
Park Kyung-Wan is a South Korean baseball catcher who currently plays for SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization and Olympic bronze medalist.-1998-2002:...
.
Doosan were unable to fare any better against the Wyverns relievers Cho Woong-cheon and Ka Deuk-yeom, and their hit in the sixth inning remained their only hit for the night.
Game 5, October 27
Jamsil Baseball StadiumJamsil Baseball Stadium
Jamsil Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium in Jamsil 1-dong, Songpa-gu, Seoul, South Korea. The stadium holds 30,265 people and was built from April 1980 to July 1982. It makes up the Jamsil Sports Complex along with the nearby Seoul Olympic Stadium, and hosted the baseball events during the...
, Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
Game 5 was played on a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Jamsil stadium. Kenny Rayburn returned for the Wyverns; he faced Matt Randall. This game turned out to be the most competitive since the first game. Rayburn and Randall each pitched 6 innings giving up no runs; Rayburn had only 3 hits to Randall's 5 but he did give up 6 walks compared to Randall's 2. The game was to be decided by the bullpens, with Cho Woong-cheon coming on for the Wyverns and Im Tae-hoon
Im Tae-Hoon
Im Tae-Hoon is a South Korean relief pitcher who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Amateur career:...
for the Bears. Both got through the seventh unscathed, but an error in the top of the eight by second-baseman Ko Young-min
Ko Young-Min
Ko Young-Min is a South Korean second baseman who currently plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
with a misjudged throw to first base allowed lead-off batter Cho Dong-hwa to get onto second. Kim Jae-hyeon continued his excellent post-season form with a massive triple to open the scoring for SK. He was brought in by another Lee Ho-jun double to make the score 2-0. Speedy Kim Kang-min
Kim Kang-Min
Kim Kang-Min is a South Korean center fielder who plays for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.- External links :...
made it three with yet another double, and after managing to advance to third, walked in for an easy fourth run after a wild pitch from new reliever Lee Hei-chun
Lee Hei-Chun
Lee Hei-Chun is a South Korean left-handed relief pitcher who plays for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.-References:*...
rounded out the scoring for the game. SK was now positioned to win the series up three games to two, and with the next two games to be played at their home ground in Incheon. They had completely swung the momentum in their favour, and Doosan had scored only once during the whole three games they had played at home.
Game 6, October 29
Munhak Baseball StadiumMunhak Baseball Stadium
Munhak Baseball Stadium is a baseball stadium in Incheon, South Korea. It is the home stadium of SK Wyverns. The stadium holds 28,500 people and was built in 2001. It is adjacent to Incheon Munhak Stadium.- See also :...
, Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
Game 6 was to prove the final game of the series as SK became the first team of the 2007 Korean Series
Korean Series
The Korean Series is the championship series of the Korea Baseball Organization. It has been held since the KBO's first season in and is the final series of in the post-season play-offs. From , the winner of the Korean Series goes on to play in the Asia Series....
to win a home game. SK went with Chae Byeong-yong, the losing pitcher of game 2, to start, while Doosan went with rookie reliever Im Tae-hoon
Im Tae-Hoon
Im Tae-Hoon is a South Korean relief pitcher who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Amateur career:...
in a somewhat surprising role as starting pitcher. Doosan needed a major form reversal to win the game and force a series decider.
They showed their intentions early, managing a run after Kim Hyun-soo
Kim Hyun-Soo
Kim Hyun-Soo is a Korean name. It's surname is Kim , and the given name is Hyun-Soo . It has usually used as an unisex name. It also spelled Kim Hyun-Su or Kim Hyeon-Soo or Kim Hyeon-Su.- People with the given name Kim Hyun-soo :...
was brought home from second by a Kim Dong-joo
Kim Dong-Joo
Kim Dong-Joo is a South Korean third baseman, who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization...
double. They held the lead until the third innings, when the Wyverns young third-baseman Choi Jeong
Choi Jeong
Choi Jeong is a third baseman who plays for the SK Wyverns in Korean professional baseball league.-Amateur career:...
, who had had a quiet series, managed to get to first, and then a two-run home run by shortstop Jeong Keun-woo
Jeong Keun-Woo
Jeong Keun-Woo is a second baseman and shortstop who currently plays for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Amateur career:...
put them in front 2-1. Kim Jae-hyeon turned his great post-season form into spectacular post-season form by adding another with a solo shot in the same innings. The scoreline remained 3-1 when Chae Byeong-yong was taken off after 5½ innings of service to bring in their main post-season reliever Cho Woong-cheon, as Doosan tried to claw back the lead. But they struggled for hits, with only a Hong Sung-heon
Hong Sung-Heon
Hong Sung-Heun is a South Korean designated hitter and first baseman for the Lotte Giants in the Korean Baseball Organization...
double between innings six to eight to show for their efforts, and things got worse for them in the bottom of the eighth as SK added two more runs. Na Ju-hwan got on base and advanced to second with a Part Kyung-oan
Park Kyung-Oan
Park Kyung-Wan is a South Korean baseball catcher who currently plays for SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization and Olympic bronze medalist.-1998-2002:...
grounder, and Choi Jeong
Choi Jeong
Choi Jeong is a third baseman who plays for the SK Wyverns in Korean professional baseball league.-Amateur career:...
's single was enough to bring him home. The next batter, Jeong Keun-woo
Jeong Keun-Woo
Jeong Keun-Woo is a second baseman and shortstop who currently plays for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Amateur career:...
, walked, and a Cho Dong-hwa double brought home Choi and gave a four-run lead to SK, now up 5-1.
Closer Chong Tae-hyon
Chong Tae-Hyon
Tae-Hyon Chong is a South Korean professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He bats and throws right-handed...
, who had been brought on in the previous inning, was given the task of closing out the game for the championship win. Doosan rallied though, Hong Sung-heon
Hong Sung-Heon
Hong Sung-Heun is a South Korean designated hitter and first baseman for the Lotte Giants in the Korean Baseball Organization...
leading-off to first and then scoring on a hit from pinch-hitter Yoo Jae-woong. Another pinch-hitter, Jeon Sang-ryeol, scored a double which only got Yoo as far as third, and that brought Lee Jong-wook
Lee Jong-wook
-Memorial award:The South Korean government officially announced the establishment of the a Memorial Prize in Dr. Lee's memory. After his death, You Si min, the Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea, officially revealed the plans concerning the new awards and urged other nations...
to the plate. A home run would have tied up the game and sent it into extra innings, but Chong struck him out to bring the Wyverns their first Korean Series
Korean Series
The Korean Series is the championship series of the Korea Baseball Organization. It has been held since the KBO's first season in and is the final series of in the post-season play-offs. From , the winner of the Korean Series goes on to play in the Asia Series....
victory in the history of the franchise. Designated hitter Kim Jae-hyeon was named the series MVP.