Na Ji-Wan
Encyclopedia
Na Ji-Wan (born May 19, 1985 in Seoul
, South Korea
) is a South Korea
n outfielder
who plays for the Kia Tigers
in the Korea Baseball Organization
. He bats and throws right-handed.
, Na was a power pitcher
who could throw 88-mile fastballs. In , he was selected for the South Korean national youth baseball team (under-16). The team won the gold medal at the inaugural Asian Youth Baseball Championship, and Na was named MVP of the competition, appearing in all the games as a pitcher.
In , he entered the Shinil High School baseball team, but converted to a position player
due to elbow injuries.
After three years at Shinil High School, Na went undrafted in the KBO
Draft. Instead, he continued his baseball career in Dankook University
.
While attending college, Na was considered one of the top sluggers in the South Korean collegiate baseball league, winning home run
titles in and .
In October 2007, as a senior in Dankook University
, Na was selected for the South Korea national baseball team to compete in the 2007 Baseball World Cup
. He was the only amateur outfielder
in the South Korean roster. In the tournament, Na batted .385 with 3 RBI as a starting left fielder
.
with the 5th pick in the 2nd round of the 2008 KBO Draft, Na made his pro debut in the Tigers opening game against the Samsung Lions
on March 29, . He was the first rookie player to bat cleanup in the opening game in the Tigers' history. In his first at-bat, Na struck out swinging against Bae Young-Soo
. He was 0-for-3 with 1 RBI in his first professional game. Na fell into a slump, showing a weakness against breaking ball
s, and was demoted to the second (reserve) team of the Tigers at the end of April. In June, he returned to the 26-man first team roster but played as a platoon or backup outfielder. Na finished his rookie season with a batting average
of .295, 6 home run
s and 30 RBI, playing in 73 games.
In , Na became a fixture at left field for the Tigers as starting outfielder
Lee Yong-Kyu
was sidelined due to an ankle injury in the beginning of the season. His batting average
dipped to .263, but he had 482 plate appearance
s, which enabled him to qualify for the batting title (ranked 39th in the league), and smacked 23 home run
s (11th in the league). Besides, Na was 18th in walks (66), 19th in RBI (73) and 23rd in slugging percentage (.474).
On October 24, , Na hit a game and series-winning solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off Chae Byung-Ryong during Game 7 of the 2009 Korean Series
. The dramatic homer gave the Kia Tigers a 6–5 victory over the two-time defending champion SK Wyverns
. Na's home run was the third walk-off home run
in Korean Series history. Earlier in the game, when Kia was trailing 5-1 in the sixth inning, Na smacked a two-run home run off Wyverns' reliever
Lee Seung-Ho
. Na's big bat in Game 7 helped earn him MVP honors in the Korean Series, although Tigers' starting pitcher Aquilino Lopez
arguably deserved the award. Lopez was the winning pitcher in Game 1, a 5-3 Kia victory, then hurled a shutout in a 3-0 Tigers' win in Game 5. The former major-leaguer
also got two outs in relief, with an SK runner on second base and the game tied at five, in the eighth inning of Game 7.
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 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 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 Shinil Junior 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...
, Na was a power pitcher
Power pitcher
In baseball, a power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of power...
who could throw 88-mile fastballs. In , he was selected for the South Korean national youth baseball team (under-16). The team won the gold medal at the inaugural Asian Youth Baseball Championship, and Na was named MVP of the competition, appearing in all the games as a pitcher.
In , he entered the Shinil High School baseball team, but converted to a position player
Position player
In baseball, a position player is a player who on defense plays as an infielder, outfielder, or catcher. This is generally all players on a team except for the pitcher, who is considered separate from the position players; in the American League, there is also a designated hitter, who bats but...
due to elbow injuries.
After three years at Shinil High School, Na went undrafted 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...
Draft. Instead, he continued his baseball career in Dankook University
Dankook University
Dankook University is a private university in South Korea. Dankook University has been constantly recognized as one of top universities in Asia ranked 148th in Asia by QS Asian Universities Ranking in 2010...
.
While attending college, Na was considered one of the top sluggers in the South Korean collegiate baseball league, winning 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...
titles in and .
In October 2007, as a senior in Dankook University
Dankook University
Dankook University is a private university in South Korea. Dankook University has been constantly recognized as one of top universities in Asia ranked 148th in Asia by QS Asian Universities Ranking in 2010...
, Na was selected for the South Korea national baseball team to compete in the 2007 Baseball World Cup
2007 Baseball World Cup
The XXXVII International Baseball Federation Baseball World Cup was held in the Republic of China from November 6 through November 18, 2007. Four stadiums hosted...
. He was the only amateur 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...
in the South Korean roster. In the tournament, Na batted .385 with 3 RBI as a starting left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
.
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Baseball World Cup 2007 Baseball World Cup The XXXVII International Baseball Federation Baseball World Cup was held in the Republic of China from November 6 through November 18, 2007. Four stadiums hosted... |
5th | .385 BA (15-for-39), 3 RBI, 3 R, 1 SB |
Professional career
Selected 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...
with the 5th pick in the 2nd round of the 2008 KBO Draft, Na made his pro debut in the Tigers opening game 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...
on March 29, . He was the first rookie player to bat cleanup in the opening game in the Tigers' history. In his first at-bat, Na struck out swinging against Bae Young-Soo
Bae Young-Soo
Bae Young-Soo is a South Korean starting pitcher who plays for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization...
. He was 0-for-3 with 1 RBI in his first professional game. Na fell into a slump, showing a weakness against breaking ball
Breaking ball
In baseball, a breaking ball is a pitch that does not travel straight like a fastball as it approaches the batter. A pitcher who uses primarily breaking ball pitches is often referred to as a junkballer. A breaking ball will have some sideways or downward motion on it...
s, and was demoted to the second (reserve) team of the Tigers at the end of April. In June, he returned to the 26-man first team roster but played as a platoon or backup outfielder. Na 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 .295, 6 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 30 RBI, playing in 73 games.
In , Na became a fixture at left field for the Tigers as starting 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...
Lee Yong-Kyu
Lee Yong-Kyu
Lee Yong-Kyu is an outfielder who plays for the Kia Tigers in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws left-handed.-Amateur career:...
was sidelined due to an ankle injury in the beginning of the season. His 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 :...
dipped to .263, but he had 482 plate appearance
Plate appearance
In baseball statistics, a player is credited with a plate appearance each time he completes a turn batting. A player completes a turn batting when: He strikes out or is declared out before reaching first base; or He reaches first base safely or is awarded first base ; or He hits a fair ball which...
s, which enabled him to qualify for the batting title (ranked 39th in the league), and smacked 23 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 (11th in the league). Besides, Na was 18th in walks (66), 19th in RBI (73) and 23rd in slugging percentage (.474).
On October 24, , Na hit a game and series-winning solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning off Chae Byung-Ryong during Game 7 of the 2009 Korean Series
2009 Korean Series
The 2009 Korean Series was the 27th edition of Korea Baseball Organization's championship series. The best-of-seven playoff is played between the KIA Tigers and the SK Wyverns...
. The dramatic homer gave the Kia Tigers a 6–5 victory over the two-time defending champion 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:...
. Na's home run was the third walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
in Korean Series history. Earlier in the game, when Kia was trailing 5-1 in the sixth inning, Na smacked a two-run home run off Wyverns' reliever
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
Lee Seung-Ho
Lee Seung-Ho
Lee Seung-Ho is a South Korean baseball relief pitcher for the Lotte Giants in the Korean Baseball Organization...
. Na's big bat in Game 7 helped earn him MVP honors in the Korean Series, although Tigers' starting pitcher Aquilino Lopez
Aquilino Lopez
Aquilino López Roa is a starting pitcher for the Kia Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization...
arguably deserved the award. Lopez was the winning pitcher in Game 1, a 5-3 Kia victory, then hurled a shutout in a 3-0 Tigers' win in Game 5. The former major-leaguer
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
also got two outs in relief, with an SK runner on second base and the game tied at five, in the eighth inning of Game 7.