An Chi-Hong
Encyclopedia
An Chi-Hong (born July 2, 1990 in Seoul
, South Korea
) is a South Korea
n infielder
who plays for the Kia Tigers
in the Korea Baseball Organization
. He bats and throws right-handed.
, An was considered one of the top shortstop
s in the Korean high school baseball league. As a sophomore, he drew national attention at the President's Cup National High School Baseball Championship held in April 2007, where his team finished runner-up and An won batting
, home run
s and RBI titles. In August 2007, he was selected for the South Korea national junior baseball team and participated in the Asian Junior Baseball Championship
held in Taichung
, Taiwan
.
In , An was selected for the South Korea national junior baseball team again to compete at the World Junior Baseball Championship
, where they claimed their fifth tournament title. In the tourney, he batted .333 (10-for-30) with 8 RBI
s and 8 run
s, playing in all 8 games as a second
and third baseman
, and was named Best Defensive Player.
in the 2nd round (1st pick, 9th overall) of the 2009 KBO
Draft, An made his pro debut on April 4, . On July 2, he became the fourth straight-from-high-school rookie to hit double digit home runs in KBO history, smacking two home runs against the Samsung Lions
.
An was selected for the Best 10 of the 2009 KBO All-Star Game. He became the first rookie player to earn the All-Star Best 10 honors since Lee Byung-Kyu
and Jin Kab-Yong
in . In the All-Star Game in Gwangju
on July 25, A hit a two-run home run in the 5th inning, which made him the youngest ever to be named KBO All-Star Game MVP.
An finished his rookie season with a batting average
of .235 (44th in the league) and 14 home run
s. Although An was the only rookie player to be eligible for the batting title in the 2009 season, having 436 plate appearances in 123 games, he failed to make the Rookie of the Year title, losing out to saves champion Lee Yong-Chan
of the Doosan Bears
.
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...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
) is a South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n infielder
Infielder
An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field.-Standard arrangement of positions:In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles...
who plays for the Kia Tigers
Kia Tigers
Kia Tigers Professional Baseball Club is a Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. The Tigers are a member team of the Korean Baseball Organization and the most successful team in Korean baseball having won the national championship, the Korean Series, ten times, with a perfect 10-0...
in the Korea Baseball Organization
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
. He bats and throws right-handed.
Amateur career
While attending Seoul High School in SeoulSeoul
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...
, An was considered one of the top shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
s in the Korean high school baseball league. As a sophomore, he drew national attention at the President's Cup National High School Baseball Championship held in April 2007, where his team finished runner-up and An won batting
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and RBI titles. In August 2007, he was selected for the South Korea national junior baseball team and participated in the Asian Junior Baseball Championship
Asian Junior Baseball Championship
The Asian Junior Baseball Championship is an under-18 international baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Baseball Federation of Asia...
held in Taichung
Taichung
-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
.
In , An was selected for the South Korea national junior baseball team again to compete at the World Junior Baseball Championship
2008 World Junior Baseball Championship
The 2008 World Junior AAA Championship was held in Edmonton, Canada from July 25 through August 3, 2008.-Knockout stage:-Fifth through eighth place:-Final standings:-External links:**...
, where they claimed their fifth tournament title. In the tourney, he batted .333 (10-for-30) with 8 RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
s and 8 run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
s, playing in all 8 games as a second
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
and third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, and was named Best Defensive Player.
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Asian Junior Baseball Championship Asian Junior Baseball Championship The Asian Junior Baseball Championship is an under-18 international baseball tournament sanctioned and created by the Baseball Federation of Asia... |
 |
.111 BA (1-for-9) | |
| 2008 | World Junior Baseball Championship 2008 World Junior Baseball Championship The 2008 World Junior AAA Championship was held in Edmonton, Canada from July 25 through August 3, 2008.-Knockout stage:-Fifth through eighth place:-Final standings:-External links:**... |
 |
.333 BA (10-for-30), 8 RBI, 8 R, 5 BB Best Defensive Player |
Professional career
Drafted by the Kia TigersKia Tigers
Kia Tigers Professional Baseball Club is a Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. The Tigers are a member team of the Korean Baseball Organization and the most successful team in Korean baseball having won the national championship, the Korean Series, ten times, with a perfect 10-0...
in the 2nd round (1st pick, 9th overall) of the 2009 KBO
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
Draft, An made his pro debut on April 4, . On July 2, he became the fourth straight-from-high-school rookie to hit double digit home runs in KBO history, smacking two home runs against the Samsung Lions
Samsung Lions
Samsung Lions Baseball Club is a Korea Professional Baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in Daegu and are members of the Korean Baseball Organization. Their home stadium is Daegu Baseball Stadium...
.
An was selected for the Best 10 of the 2009 KBO All-Star Game. He became the first rookie player to earn the All-Star Best 10 honors since Lee Byung-Kyu
Lee Byung-Kyu
Lee Byung-Kyu is a South Korean baseball player who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics and in the 2000 Summer Olympics.He was a member of the South Korean team which finished eighth in the 1996 tournament....
and Jin Kab-Yong
Jin Kab-Yong
Jin Kab-Yong is a catcher who plays for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization...
in . In the All-Star Game in Gwangju
Gwangju
Gwangju is the sixth largest city in South Korea. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister...
on July 25, A hit a two-run home run in the 5th inning, which made him the youngest ever to be named KBO All-Star Game MVP.
An finished his rookie season with a batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
of .235 (44th in the league) and 14 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. Although An was the only rookie player to be eligible for the batting title in the 2009 season, having 436 plate appearances in 123 games, he failed to make the Rookie of the Year title, losing out to saves champion Lee Yong-Chan
Lee Yong-Chan
Lee Yong-Chan is a South Korean closer who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Amateur career:...
of 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....
.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from the KBO official website