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Kim Hyun-Soo (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Kim Hyun-Soo (born January 12, 1988 in Seoul
, South Korea
), nicknamed "Machine Hyun-Soo (Hangul
: 기계현수)," is a South Korean outfielder
who plays for the Doosan Bears
in the Korea Baseball Organization
. He bats left-handed
and throws right-handed.
Kim is currently considered to be one of the best hitters for average
in the KBO
league. Kim's greatest strength is solid contact hitting, and he also has great potential to be a power hitter as well.
, South Korea
. In September 2005, he competed for the South Korea national junior team, that was runner-up at the 6th Asian Junior Baseball Championship in Seoul
, South Korea
. At the championship, he went 1-for-4 as a backup outfielder in the South Korean roster.
In November 2005, Kim won the Lee Young-Min Award, given annually to the most outstanding high school hitter in South Korea.
, but went undrafted. Instead, he was signed by the Doosan Bears
as an undrafted free agent
. He spent the whole 2006 season playing for the reserve team of the Bears.
In the 2007 season, Kim took over the starting job after starting outfielder Yoo Jae-Woong was sidelined with a sprained ankle in the beginning of the season. Kim hit .273 with 5 home runs and 32 runs batted in in 99 games, and finished runner-up for Rookie of the Year.
In the 2008 KBO season, Kim won the batting title with an average of .357 and was first in hits with 168. He finished runner-up in MVP voting and won the Golden Glove Award as an outfielder.
In August 2008, Kim competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2008 Olympic Games, where they won the gold medal in the baseball tournament. In the preliminary round game against Japan
, Kim hit a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth off closer Hitoki Iwase
to break a 2-2 tie as a pinch hitter
, leading South Korea to a 5-3 win over Japan
.
In March 2009, Kim competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
, where they finished runner-up with a 6-3 record. In the tournament, he went 11-for-28 (.393) with 4 RBIs, 6 runs and 7 walks, and was named to the All-Star team at designated hitter
.
In the 2009 KBO season, Kim exploded offensively, batting .357 and smacking 23 home runs. He defended his hit
title with 172, and was runner-up in RBI (104) and triples
(6), third in batting average
, runs
(97), doubles
(31), on-base percentage (.448) and slugging percentage (.589), and eleventh in home run
s.
On December 11, 2009, He won the Golden Glove Award in outfielder nomination for two consecutive years.
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...
), nicknamed "Machine Hyun-Soo (Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 기계현수)," is a South Korean outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
who plays for 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....
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 left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
and throws right-handed.
Kim is currently considered to be one of the best hitters for 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 :...
in the 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...
league. Kim's greatest strength is solid contact hitting, and he also has great potential to be a power hitter as well.
Amateur career
Kim attended Shin-Il 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...
, 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...
. In September 2005, he competed for the South Korea national junior team, that was runner-up at the 6th Asian Junior Baseball Championship in 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...
, 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...
. At the championship, he went 1-for-4 as a backup outfielder in the South Korean roster.
In November 2005, Kim won the Lee Young-Min Award, given annually to the most outstanding high school hitter in South Korea.
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Asian Junior Baseball Championship |  |
.250 BA (1-for-4) |
Professional career
Upon graduation from high school, Kim made himself eligible for the 2006 KBO DraftKorea 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...
, but went undrafted. Instead, he was signed by 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....
as an undrafted free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He spent the whole 2006 season playing for the reserve team of the Bears.
In the 2007 season, Kim took over the starting job after starting outfielder Yoo Jae-Woong was sidelined with a sprained ankle in the beginning of the season. Kim hit .273 with 5 home runs and 32 runs batted in in 99 games, and finished runner-up for Rookie of the Year.
In the 2008 KBO season, Kim won the batting title with an average of .357 and was first in hits with 168. He finished runner-up in MVP voting and won the Golden Glove Award as an outfielder.
In August 2008, Kim competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2008 Olympic Games, where they won the gold medal in the baseball tournament. In the preliminary round game against Japan
Japan national baseball team
The Japan national baseball team is the national baseball team representing Japan in international competitions. They are one of the more successful baseball teams in the world, having won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009...
, Kim hit a go-ahead RBI single in the top of the ninth off closer Hitoki Iwase
Hitoki Iwase
Hitoki Iwase is a Japanese professional baseball player from Nishio, Aichi, Japan. He is a closing pitcher....
to break a 2-2 tie as a pinch hitter
Pinch hitter
In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player that has not yet entered the game as a substitute...
, leading South Korea to a 5-3 win over Japan
Japan national baseball team
The Japan national baseball team is the national baseball team representing Japan in international competitions. They are one of the more successful baseball teams in the world, having won the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009...
.
In March 2009, Kim competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
2009 World Baseball Classic
The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the...
, where they finished runner-up with a 6-3 record. In the tournament, he went 11-for-28 (.393) with 4 RBIs, 6 runs and 7 walks, and was named to the All-Star team at designated hitter
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
.
In the 2009 KBO season, Kim exploded offensively, batting .357 and smacking 23 home runs. He defended his hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
title with 172, and was runner-up in RBI (104) and triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(6), third in 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 :...
, runs
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...
(97), doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(31), on-base percentage (.448) and slugging percentage (.589), and eleventh in 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.
On December 11, 2009, He won the Golden Glove Award in outfielder nomination for two consecutive years.
Achievements
- 2008 Batting Title
- 2008 On-base Percentage Leader
- 2008 Hit Title
- 2009 Hit Title
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Olympic Games Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 13 to August 23. All games were played at Wukesong Baseball Field, a temporary venue constructed at the Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center... |
 |
.370 BA (10-for-27), 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 SB | |
| 2009 | World Baseball Classic 2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the... |
|
.393 BA (11-for-28), 4 RBI, 6 R, 7 BB All-Star (DH) |
|
| 2010 | Guangzhou Asian Games | |
||
External links
- Profile and stats on the KBO official site