Born in Gwangju,1 South Korea, on January 19, 1979, Kim was a 1997 graduate of Gwangju Jeil High School, a school noted for producing baseball talent.2 His prodigious pitching ability was evident at an early age. After being chosen for the Junior National Team in 1996, he was a member of the South Korean National Team in 1997 and 1998.3 He shined in various international competitions, including a dominating June 1998 performance against Team USA in Tucson, Arizona, in which he struck out 15 batters.4 After graduating from high school, he attended Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, but his higher education was cut short when the Arizona Diamondbacks signed him as an amateur free agent in February 1999.

After arriving in the United States in late March, Kim was sent to the El Paso Diablos, Arizona’s Double-A affiliate in the Texas League. Working out of the bullpen, he made 10 appearances, picking up two wins with a 2.11 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 21⅓ innings before being promoted in mid-May to Triple-A Tucson. He started only three games for the Sidewinders when he was called up to the Diamondbacks on May 28. On arriving in New York for a series against the Mets, Kim revealed that his dream was to strike out Mark McGwire, Mike Piazza, Sammy Sosa, and Mo Vaughn.5 He didn’t wait long to cross one of those names off his list. On the very next day he made his major-league debut. At 20 years old, he became the youngest player in the major leagues, and only the third Korean-born player after Chan Ho Park (1994) and Jin Ho Cho (1998).

With the Diamondbacks holding a slim 8-7 lead, Kim was sent out in the bottom of the ninth inning to close out the game. Mets manager Bobby Valentine tried unsuccessfully to rattle the young rookie by questioning the size of his glove.6 Kim retired the Mets’ Edgardo Alfonzo, John Olerud, and Mike Piazza in order, to record his first major-league save. In striking out Piazza to end the game, the Diamondbacks catcher, Damian Miller, reported that Kim had thrown “a couple of Nintendo sliders … the ones you see in the video games with the huge bend on them.”7

While Kim did not have any more saves during the season, he became a bullpen regular, appearing in 25 games, primarily as a set-up man. His rookie season was shortened by an injury in late July that landed him on the disabled list, followed by a rehab stint in Tucson. After missing nearly two months, he returned to the Diamondbacks in late September, making three relief appearances to end the season, including picking up his first major-league win on October 2. In only their second season of existence, the surprising Diamondbacks won the NL West with a 100-62 record. Kim, however, was not included on the postseason roster, as Arizona lost in the NLDS to the New York Mets.

When injury-plagued Diamondbacks closer Matt Mantei began the 2000 season with two stints on the disabled list, Kim took over as the primary closer. Over the first half of the season, he was impressive in that role, making 34 appearances, and converting 14 of 16 save opportunities with a 1.94 ERA. After recording his last save of the season on July 5, however, he slumped badly, blowing three straight save opportunities. At the end of July, he was sent down to Tucson to work on his pitching issues. He was only there long enough to make two starts before being recalled, but by then a healthy Mantei had reclaimed the closer role. For the remainder of the season, Kim was used mainly as a set-up man, and was unable to recapture his earlier success. In his final 27 appearances of the season, he gave up 26 earned runs in only 29 innings of work (an 8.07 ERA). After winning the NL West in 1999, the Diamondbacks fell back to third, with an 85-77 record, 12 games behind the San Francisco Giants.

After only eight appearances in April 2001, Mantei went down at the end of the month with a season-ending elbow injury that ultimately required Tommy John surgery. Kim was again inserted into the team’s closer role. He appeared in a career-high 78 games with a 2.94 ERA, saving a team-leading 19 games as the Diamondbacks won the NL West. His 98 innings pitched were one of the heaviest workloads among relievers.

Kim initially continued his regular-season dominance in the postseason as the Diamondbacks defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS and the Atlanta Braves in the NLCS to win their first National League pennant. Over the two series, Kim appeared in four games pitching 6⅓ scoreless innings, allowing only one hit, and collecting three saves, including a two-inning save in the pennant-clinching game, a tight 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Kim’s luck ran out in the World Series against the New York Yankees. He did not appear until Game Four in Yankee Stadium with the Diamondbacks holding a 2-1 Series lead. On Halloween night he was sent to the mound in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Yankees losing 3-1. Kim, who had not pitched in 10 days, struck out the side and remained in the game for the ninth inning to face the top of the Yankees order. Derek Jeter grounded out and Paul O’Neill singled, before Bernie Williams struck out swinging. With two outs, Tino Martinez then hit a two-run home run to tie the game. Kim put on two more men with a walk and a single before getting the final out of the inning with a strikeout. Surprisingly, Kim was left in the game to pitch the 10th inning. After retiring the first two batters, he surrendered the game-winning home run to Jeter.8

Despite Kim’s throwing a season-high 61 pitches in Game Four, Arizona manager Bob Brenly inexplicably went to him again on the very next night with the Diamondbacks leading 2-0 in the ninth inning. After a leadoff double by Jorge Posada, Kim got two outs before giving up yet another gruesome game-tying two-run home run, this time to Scott Brosius. Kim was mercifully replaced by Mike Morgan, who got the final out of the inning, but the Yankees went on to win 3-2 in the 12th inning to take a 3 games to 2 lead.9 After Kim’s two monumental blown saves, it was noticed that only once before in the entire history of the World Series had a team come from behind with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to tie the game with a two-run home run.10

Kim did not pitch again in the Series, but fortunately for him and his teammates, the Diamondbacks came back to win the final two games, dethroning the three-time defending champion Yankees in seven games. In only their fourth year of existence, the Diamondbacks became the youngest franchise to win the World Series, and Kim became the first Asian-born player on a World Series-winning team.

Despite his nightmare 2001 World Series performance, Kim returned as the Diamondbacks’ closer in 2002. With Matt Mantei recovering from Tommy John surgery, for the first time Kim was the team’s closer for the entire season. He responded with the best year of his career. Early in the season his manager, Bob Brenly, wryly commented, “If he has any lingering effects from what happened last year, he’s hiding them well.”11

On May 11, Kim joined an exclusive pitching fraternity. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the Diamondbacks clinging to a 5-4 lead over the Philadelphia Phillies, he threw an “immaculate inning,” striking out Scott Rolen, Mike Lieberthal, and Pat Burrell in succession on nine straight pitches.

In the following month, he gained a measure of redemption when the Diamondbacks traveled to New York for an interleague series with the Yankees. On June 12, in his first mound appearance in Yankee Stadium since his disastrous 2001 World Series performance, he entered the game with a 7-5 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning. He struck out the side and got out of a ninth-inning jam for his 17th save of the season. Afterward he joyously hurled the game ball from the pitcher’s mound over the left-field wall. Teammate Mark Grace joked, “I think that was his best fastball of the year.”12

In July Kim was selected as an All-Star, becoming only the second Korean-born player to make an All-Star team.13 He had a role in the most controversial All-Star Game in its history. Kim entered in the top of the seventh inning with two outs, a man on base, and the National League holding a 5-3 lead. He promptly gave up three straight hits before getting the final out, giving the American League a 6-5 lead. The game lasted until the 11th inning, ending in an infamous 7-7 tie.14 Kim, however, immediately bounced back from his weak All-Star Game performance to get saves on three straight days, earning him recognition as NL Player of the Week.

Kim ended the regular season with a team-low 2.04 ERA in 72 games. His 36 saves set a new Arizona season record, breaking Gregg Olson’s record of 30 set during the Diamondbacks’ first season, 1998.15 The Diamondbacks won the NL West for the third time in four seasons but were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. Kim’s only appearance was in the deciding third game, when he was brought on in the eighth inning to keep the score close with the Diamondbacks behind 4-3. Instead, he gave up two runs on two hits and three walks as the St. Louis Cardinals eliminated the Diamondbacks, 6-3.

Although Kim had proved himself as an elite closer, he regularly made it clear that he preferred to be a starting pitcher. Manager Brenly went so far as to say that Kim “despised” being a closer.16 With a healthy Mantei returning from Tommy John surgery, Kim finally got his chance to join the starting rotation for the 2003 season. Brenly commented, “If he has done as well as he has the last few years in a role that he did not like, I’m anxious to see what he is going to do in a role that he wants.”17 Kim made six starts in April before going on the disabled list at the end of the month with an ankle injury. After three rehab appearances in Tucson, he returned to the Diamondbacks, making a quality start in a no-decision on May 27.

Despite a 1-5 record over his seven starts, Kim had pitched well, with a 3.56 ERA. Two days after his last start for the Diamondbacks, the Boston Red Sox, needing to bolster their pitching staff, traded their All-Star third baseman, Shea Hillenbrand, for Kim. Interestingly, with his acquisition the Red Sox had fielded four of the first five Koreans to play in the major leagues.18 Five of Kim’s first seven appearances for the Red Sox were as a starter (2-1, 3.10 ERA). When the team’s closer-by-committee approach wasn’t working out, however, he was pressed into service as the closer at the beginning of July.19 He performed impressively in that role, converting 16 of 19 save opportunities with a 2.28 ERA over the final three months of the season.

In 12 September appearances, Kim did not give up a single earned run. He recorded three wins and five saves in those games as Boston edged out the Seattle Mariners by two games for the league’s wild-card playoff spot. On September 22 he picked up his 16th and final save of the season, which surprisingly would turn out to be the last save of his major-league career.

Kim’s only appearance in the postseason came in Game One of the ALDS in Oakland against the Athletics. He entered the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with the Red Sox nursing a 4-3 lead. In the process of getting two outs, he also put two men on base with a walk and hit batter. Manager Grady Little then pulled his closer for Alan Embree, who gave up a game-tying single in a game that Boston ultimately lost in the 12th inning.

When the Red Sox returned home for Game Three down two games to none, Kim was ungraciously booed during pregame introductions. The young pitcher who had played such a vital role in the Red Sox getting to the postseason responded with a slight smile on his face and a raised middle finger. An official apology for his ill-advised gesture was issued afterward on his behalf by the Red Sox. Years later he candidly explained, “In the heat of the moment, I was just being honest with my emotions. When the fans booed me, I felt really misunderstood, and all of that frustration came out.”20 With his status questionable due to reported stiffness in his right arm, Kim did not pitch again in the divisional playoff as Boston swept the next three games to defeat Oakland. He was also left off the roster for Boston’s heart-breaking ALCS loss to the Yankees, in which they certainly could have used a healthy Kim in their bullpen.

During the offseason, the Red Sox signaled that Kim would not be returning as the team’s closer in 2004 by signing free agent All-Star closer Keith Foulke. Foulke was coming off a 2003 season in which he led the American League with 43 saves for the Oakland Athletics. At the same time, Boston’s management demonstrated their desire to retain Kim’s services by signing him to a two-year, $10 million contract.

Under new manager Terry Francona, Kim was projected to be the team’s fifth starter, joining Derek Lowe, Pedro Martínez, Tim Wakefield, and the newly acquired Curt Schilling. Kim began the season on the disabled list with a right shoulder strain. After a rehab start in Sarasota and two more in Pawtucket, he finally made his Fenway Park debut on April 29 in the first game of a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In his first appearance on the mound since his obscene gesture to jeering fans during the 2003 divisional playoffs, he pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only one hit to pick up the victory. He was cheered by the large hometown crowd, leading him to joke afterward, “Maybe the fans who don’t like me didn’t show up.”21

Sadly, that was the high point of Kim’s 2004 season. Poor outings in his next two starts put him back in Pawtucket on May 11. He made only a couple of starts there before landing on the disabled list again with back issues and lingering shoulder problems. At the end of May, he traveled to South Korea for medical treatment, and did not return until late June. Most of the remaining season was spent in Pawtucket, but he never recovered his effectiveness, going 2-6 for the PawSox with a 5.34 ERA in 22 games, including 19 starts. Bronson Arroyo was the beneficiary of Kim’s lost season, filling in capably as the team’s fifth starter.

Kim was finally recalled by Boston in late September, making four appearances out of the bullpen and retiring the final 10 batters he faced. He appeared in only seven games (three starts) in his two brief stints with Boston, going 2-1 with a 6.23 ERA. It was the worst ERA of his major-league career. He was ineligible for the postseason as the wild-card Red Sox staged a dramatic playoff run that culminated in their first World Series title since 1918.

Given Kim’s 2004 struggles, it was no great surprise when just before the opening of the 2005 season, he was traded to the Colorado Rockies for veteran catcher Charles Johnson, minor-league pitcher Chris Narveson, and cash. Neither acquisition ever played a game for the Red Sox.22 Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd acknowledged the gamble they were taking on Kim, saying he “is someone we want to take a flier on. You never get a guy like this when he is going good. But he’s not that far removed from being an All-Star and a dominant young closer.”23

Other than a couple of spot starts, for the first two months of the season Kim worked out of the Rockies bullpen. In early June, however, due to injuries and trades, he landed a spot in the starting rotation for the rest of the season. Although he was only 5-9 as a starter, his 4.37 ERA as a starter was among the best on a team that finished last in the NL West with a 67-95 record.

On August 5, the Rockies acquired Sun-Woo Kim (no relation) off waivers from the Washington Nationals. He became the only Korean teammate Kim had during his major-league career. “Sunny” Kim made his first appearance for Colorado on August 8 in the first game of a doubleheader, and “BK” Kim pitched the second game. It was the first time that pitchers with the same last name had started both ends of a doubleheader since June 22, 1974, when brothers Jim Perry and Gaylord Perry accomplished the feat for the Cleveland Indians.24

After re-signing as a free agent with Colorado for the 2006 season, Kim was a member of the South Korean team that finished third in the inaugural World Baseball Classic played in March. Belatedly joining the Rockies for spring training, he strained the hamstring in his right leg and started the season on the disabled list. After three rehab starts with the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, the Rockies Triple-A affiliate, he made his season debut with the Rockies on April 30. He went 6⅔ innings, giving up only one run to pick up the victory. For the first and only time in his major-league career, Kim spent the entire season in the starting rotation. His 27 games started, 155 innings pitched, and 129 strikeouts were all career highs.

On May 22, in his fifth start of the season, Kim pitched against fellow South Korean and former high-school teammate Jae Weong Seo of the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the first time in major-league history that two Korean-born pitchers had faced off against each other as starters.25 Although Kim gave up only one earned run in six innings, he was charged with the loss in the Dodgers’ 6-1 victory.

In his next start, on May 28, against the San Francisco Giants, Kim earned an unwelcome place in the record books. In the bottom of the fourth inning, he delivered the pitch that Barry Bonds hit for his 715th home run, moving him ahead of Babe Ruth on the all-time list, second only to Henry Aaron.26 Kim got the last laugh, however, picking up the win in a 6-3 Rockies victory.

Kim ended the season with an 8-12 record and a 5.57 ERA as the Rockies finished in a tie for last place in the NL West with a 76-86 record.

After two appearances in relief and one start to begin the 2007 season, Kim went on the disabled list with a bruised thumb. He made five rehab starts with Colorado Springs, but on May 13, a day after his last start for the Sky Sox, he was traded to the Florida Marlins for right-handed reliever Jorge Julio. Five days later he was plugged into the Marlins’ starting rotation. Over the next 2½ months, he made 13 starts before being released at the beginning of August. The Arizona Diamondbacks claimed him off waivers, but after two bad outings he was released again. Several days later he rejoined the Marlins, where he finished out the season. As it turned out, all three of Kim’s former teams made it to the 2007 postseason. Colorado defeated Arizona in the NLCS before losing to Boston in the World Series.

On September 28 at Shea Stadium, the site of his 1999 debut, Kim got the start in what turned out to be the last game of his major-league career. He picked up the victory for his 10th win of the season (a career high), finishing with a respectable combined record of 10-8, but a not-so-respectable 6.08 ERA. In a nine-year career with four teams, Kim compiled a 54-60 record with 86 saves in 394 games (87 games started) and a 4.42 ERA.

Still only 28 years old after the 2007 season, Kim attempted to extend his major-league career by agreeing to minor-league contracts with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008 and the San Franciso Giants in 2010. He was unable to make it out of spring training for either club. After a 2010 season with the Orange County (Fullerton, California) Flyers of the independent Golden Baseball League, he played for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the Japan Eastern League in 2011. For the next four years he played for the Korean Baseball Organization’s Nexen (Seoul) Heroes (2012-2013) and his hometown Kia (Gwangju) Tigers (2014-1205). It was clear, however, that he was not the pitcher he had once been.

At age 39 Kim staged one last comeback, with the Melbourne Aces of the Australian Baseball League. Although he appeared in only nine games during their brief 2018-2019 season, he struck out nine batters in 9⅔ innings with a 0.93 ERA. That performance allowed him to retire on a high note, with him saying, “I was happy with myself in that moment, and that’s when I decided to walk away.”27 In reflecting on all the highs and lows of his career, he commented, “I’m fine with how it happened. Now, it’s all a good memory.”28

In his post-baseball retirement, Kim became an owner of multiple restaurants, including one in San Diego, California, as well as being active as a television personality in his native South Korea.

Sources

Unless otherwise indicated, statistics and team records were derived from baseball-reference.com and retrosheet.org.

Notes

1 Also transliterated as “Kwangju.” “Birthplace of Byung-Hyun Kim Identified,” SABR Biographical Research Committee Monthly Report, November/December 1999: 1, http://sabr.org/research/biographical-research-committee-newsletters.

2 Andrew Keh, “Where School Spirit Is Metaphysical,” New York Times, October 3, 2015: D2. Two of Kim’s high-school teammates, Jae Weong Seo and Hee-seop Choi, also made it to the major leagues.

3 2004 Boston Red Sox Media Guide, 154.

4 Phil Villarreal, “Korean pitcher Fans 15 in Rout of Team USA,” Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), July 1, 1998: D6.

5 “Young Gun … Byung Gun,” Sports Illustrated, June 7, 1999: 31. Kim would eventually strike out Piazza, Sosa, and Vaughn on multiple occasions. McGwire faced Kim only twice in his career during the regular season, drawing two bases on balls, one of them intentional.

6 Jason Diamos, “Mets Fall 2 Runs and a Few Tricks Short,” New York Times, May 30, 1999: 8-2.

7 “Young Gun … Byung Gun.”

8 Stew Thornley, “October 31, 2001: Jeter becomes Mr. November,” SABR Baseball Games Project,  

https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-31-2001-jeter-becomes-mr-november/.

9 Stew Thornley, “November 1, 2001: Scott Brosius deja vu in the Bronx,” SABR Baseball Games Project,  

https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/november-1-2001-scott-brosius-deja-vu-in-the-bronx/.

10 Tom Verducci, “Desert Classic,” Sports Illustrated, November 12, 2001: 41-42. In Game Five of the 1964 World Series in Yankee Stadium, Tom Tresh of the New York Yankees hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off future Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson to tie the game, 2-2. The St. Louis Cardinals, however, won in the 10th inning with Gibson going the distance.

11 Stephen Cannella, “Saved!” Sports Illustrated, May 13, 2002: 48.

12 Jack Curry, “Same Kim, Same Site, but a Different Result, New York Times, June 13, 2002: D4.

13 Chan Ho Park of the Los Angeles Dodgers made his only All-Star Game appearance the year before, in 2001.

14 See Stew Thornley, “July 9, 2002: All-Star Game ends in a historic tie,” SABR Baseball Games Project, https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/july-9-2002-all-star-game-ends-in-a-historic-tie/, accessed April 7, 2023; Jack Curry, “No Winner, Loser or M.V.P., but Plenty of Boos,” New York Times, July 10, 2002: D1, D3. The second All-Star Game of the 1961 season, played on July 31, also ended in a tie.

15 Kim’s record stood until 2007 when it was broken by José Valverde, who finished the year with 47 saves.

16 Ken Rosenthal, “D-backs Playing a Game of Risk,” The Sporting News, March 10, 2003: 50.

17 Daniel G. Habib, “Starting with Closers,” Sports Illustrated, March 17, 2003: 46.

18 The three Koreans to play previously for the Red Sox, all pitchers, were Jin Ho Cho (1998-1999), Sang-Hoon Lee (2000), and Sun-Woo Kim (2001-2002).

19 Daniel G. Habib, “Boston’s Bullpen Gamble,” Sports Illustrated, March 17, 2003: 42-46.

20 Tim Rohan, “After a Career of Being Misunderstood, Byung-Hyun Kim Is at Peace,” Sports Illustrated, July 3, 2019, https://www.si.com/mlb/2019/07/03/byung-hyun-kim-diamondbacks-yankees-world-series, accessed May 14, 2023.

21 Marvin Pane, “For Starters, Kim Gets Warm Fenway Reception,” Boston Globe, April 30, 2004: E5.

22 Johnson was released on the day of the trade, and Narveson was sent to Pawtucket, before being released in August.

23 Troy E. Renck, “Rockies to Roll the Dice with Kim,” Denver Post, March 31, 2005: D1.

24 Troy E. Renck, “Rockies 4-5, Marlins 3-3, (First, 11 innings) – Mohr’s Homer Blasts Him into Lead,” Denver Post, August 9, 2005: D1.

25 Bill Shaikin, “Dodgers Foil Rockies with Dogged Defense,” Los Angeles Times, May 23, 2006: D1.

26 Coincidentally, Kim’s countryman, Chan Ho Park, gave up Barry Bonds’ 71st home run during the 2001 season, which moved Bonds past Mark McGwire for the single-season record. See Alexander Harriman, “October 5, 2001: Barry Bonds hits 71st home run to set new single-season record,” SABR Baseball Games Project, https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/october-5-2001-barry-bonds-hits-71st-home-run-to-set-new-single-season-record/. 

27 Rohan.

28 Rohan.

Nonetheless, in his brief time as a big-leaguer, “Mr. Koo” – as he was fondly known in New York – made a lasting impression. His most memorable game took place on May 21, 2005, at Shea Stadium. In his second of just two at-bats in the majors, Koo surprised everyone by blasting a long double off Hall of Famer Randy Johnson. He then showed himself to be a daring baserunner, scoring from second on a sacrifice bunt with a headlong dive around catcher Jorge Posada.

In 2006, Koo returned to Korea, where he played five more seasons. He then moved on to Australia for another five. Finally, in early 2015, he retired from his professional playing career at the age of 45. He then went on to become a coach and manager in Australia, his adopted homeland – and came out of retirement twice to pitch, including action in 2023.

Dae-Sung Koo2 was born on August 2, 1969 in Daejeon, South Korea’s fifth-largest city. It is located in the center of the country, south of the capital city, Seoul. Koo was the second of three children in his family, coming between an elder brother and a younger sister (information about his parents is not presently available).3

Although Koo was born right-handed, at the age of six he suffered a badly broken right arm and became a lefty as a result. “I fell from a two-story building,” he recalled in 2016. “I was 11 years old when I started baseball. There was a school team, and we would play with other schools, not really a Little League.”4

Koo first attracted broader attention for his pitching while attending high school in Daejeon. One of his feats became famous in Korea; it was reminiscent of Satchel Paige. For fun, he intentionally walked the first three batters, then struck out the next three in a row. “It was enjoying myself in the moment,” he said.5

Koo then went to Hanyang University, at its main campus in Seoul. For one year there, he was a teammate of Chan Ho Park, the first Korean to play in the majors. The designated hitter rule was in effect while Koo played in college – and during his time in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and Japan’s Pacific League. Thus, he did not swing a bat again in a real game until joining the Mets.6

Koo first represented South Korea in international competition in 1989. That action came in the Intercontinental Cup; he played in that tournament again in 1991 and was named to its All-Star team. He was on the national team again in 1992, but South Korea did not qualify for the eight-team baseball tournament at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona after losing to Japan and Taiwan in regional preliminaries.7

After graduating from Hanyang, Koo joined the Binggrae Eagles of the KBO in 1993. This team, based in Daejeon, changed its name to the Hanwha Eagles after that season. Koo’s first tenure with the Eagles lasted eight years, through 2000. During that time, he was 61-57 with 150 saves and a 2.79 ERA in 351 games. In 915 1/3 innings, although he walked 404 batters, he gave up just 658 hits and had 1,020 strikeouts. Regarding his high strikeout ratio, Koo said, “It was just my confidence and concentration while pitching.”8

Koo’s best season at home was 1996. He led the KBO in wins with 18 (against just three losses) and ERA (1.88) while also posting 24 saves. He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. In addition, he won a Gold Glove.9 That year South Korea made it into the Olympic baseball tournament in Atlanta, finishing last among the eight teams. The International Baseball Association did not vote to rescind its amateur-only rule for the Olympics until September 1996 – several weeks after the Atlanta Games had concluded.10

The 1999 season was also noteworthy for Koo because Hanwha became Korean champions.11 As of 2023, it is the Eagles’ only title to date. Koo was named MVP of the Korean Series, which Hanwha won in five games over the Lotte Giants.12 His lasting memory of the series: “My final pitch and the moment we won.”13

Another member of the 1999 Hanwha staff, righty Min-Cheol Chung, remembered Koo’s habit of warming up in thick jackets during the summer and in shorts during winter. Koo commented, “It was my way to wear a long jacket to warm my body up fast and get used to the heat when I took it off for the game. And for the winter, because it was off-season I wore shorts – I also was not weak in cold weather.”14

The KBO shut down for a few weeks during the 2000 season so that its best players could go to Sydney to compete in that year’s Summer Olympics.15 Koo was a key member of the South Korean team. He brought honor to the nation by pitching a 3-1 complete-game victory over Japan with the bronze medal at stake. Koo, who struck out 11, outdueled another future big-leaguer, Daisuke Matsuzaka. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the eighth inning, when South Korea scored three unearned runs.16

Korea and Japan have an intense rivalry, so this win was especially sweet for the Koreans. Koo earned the nickname “Japan-Killer.” He remarked, “I think it was the people and baseball community that started to call me that.” He didn’t view himself as any more patriotic than his teammates, simply “a good pitcher for the team” – but acknowledged, “I liked to win, especially against Japan. I think it gave me good strong performance against other national teams.” He also won another nickname – Dae-sung bool-pae, or “Dae-sung never loses” – which he liked better than “Japan-Killer.”17

On a separate note, Koo fell in love with Australia while playing in those Olympics. He later came to live there permanently with his family.18

A new opportunity then arose for Koo in Japan. He pitched for four seasons with the Orix Blue Wave of the Pacific League. In 2001, Koo pitched mostly in relief, starting nine times in 51 appearances. After that, however, Orix made him a starter. From 2002 through 2004, he did not relieve in any of his 59 outings. All told in Japan, Koo posted a record of 24-34 with a 3.88 ERA and 504 strikeouts in 503 innings pitched. His control was about the same as it was in the KBO; he walked 3.8 men for each nine innings pitched. Orix was a poor team during most of Koo’s time in Japan. The club finished a little over .500 in 2001, but was last in the six-team Pacific League during each of the next three seasons, with an aggregate winning percentage of .367.

Following the 2004 season, Orix merged with the Kintetsu Buffaloes. Koo chose to leave Japan rather than fight for a position.19 The New York Yankees had reportedly expressed interest, but according to Koo, they waited too long with their offer, and so he went with the Mets – who’d offered him a contract five years previously.20 They signed him on January 8, 2005. General manager Omar Minaya said, “I was in Sydney for the Olympics in 2000 when he beat Japan to win the bronze medal for Korea. He’s a veteran pitcher who can help our staff in a variety of ways.”21

The day Koo signed was also his 10th wedding anniversary. His wife, Hyun-Jung Kwon, was there for the ceremony, along with his agent, Dong-Yoon “Douglas” Jo.22 The Koos have two children: Alice and Eric.

The Mets gave Koo a one-year major-league contract with an option for the 2006 season. In spring training, he got the nickname Mr. Koo. As he explained through an interpreter, “For Americans, my first name is very hard to pronounce. Over here, I will go by my last name only. My teammates can call me Koo.” That article in the New York Times also described his motion. “Koo’s three-quarter delivery is just as confusing. He ducks down and leans forward when he throws so that it looks as if the ball is popping out of his shoulder.”23 Koo described the development of his motion by saying, “I threw similar to others, but as time passed, I started not to show my ball so that it was harder for the hitter to see and read.”24

The Times piece added a touch about Koo’s personality too. “When he is finished with his bullpen sessions, he removes his cap, raises both hands and takes an exaggerated bow toward his catcher as a show of thanks.”25

The 2005 Mets had a broadly international flavor, something that Minaya had actively sought. Despite language barriers, there was a lot of camaraderie. One of the ways this became visible that spring was in clubhouse poker games. In his book about the team that year, author Adam Rubin observed, “In Florida [Koo] dominated his teammates at poker, which he claimed not to have played before, while raising on odd hands not in his favor.”26 The New York Times also reported, “Koo plays Texas Hold ’em with fellow relievers even though he only knows how to bluff.”27

Koo pitched well in camp, winning the John J. Murphy Award, the trophy that has been presented each year since 1972 to the top Mets rookie in spring training.28 It was obviously a stretch, though, to call the international vet a “rookie.” The same is true of other experienced Asian imports, as well as various Negro Leaguers and Latino players of the past.

Several winners of the Murphy Award, both before and after Koo, did not go north with the Mets – but he won a bullpen job with the big club despite crowded competition. He thus became the first Korean player to perform in the KBO, Nippon Professional Baseball, and the majors.29 He also became the second Korean to play for the Mets. The first was Jae Weong Seo, another pitcher, in 2002. Seo was still with New York for parts of 2005, so that staff became the first in big-league history with two Korean members. “We were close to each other during that time,” said Koo.30

New York City has the biggest Korean population of any U.S. city after Los Angeles, and Flushing – the part of Queens that’s home to the Mets – is the center of the city’s Korean community. Koo said, however, “I stayed for only a year, so there isn’t a particular memory, but I have heard the Korean community is still very good now.”31

Koo’s debut with the Mets on April 4 – Opening Day at Cincinnati – was very sharp. He entered in the eighth inning with the Mets leading, 6-4. He struck out D’Angelo Jiménez and Ken Griffey Jr., catching both of them looking. He then retired Sean Casey, fielding a grounder himself and throwing to first. In the bottom of the ninth, however, Braden Looper blew the save, giving up a single and back-to-back homers.

Overall, Koo was a moderately effective pitcher for the Mets. He averaged one strikeout per inning, although he also walked or hit 0.65 per inning. His 3.91 ERA is somewhat deceptive; opponents scored against him in just six of his 33 outings, and in one of those the runs were unearned. However, he also allowed 11 of 24 (46%) of his inherited runners to score, which is subpar for a middle reliever. Opponents hit just .135 (7-for-52) against him when nobody was on base. It was a different story with men on, though: .417 (15-for-36). With runners in scoring position, the difficulty was more pronounced: .476 (10-for-21). He also had a hard time retiring the first batter he faced – 14 of 33 got on base.

The best opportunity Koo had to earn a save came on May 17. It was Asian Night at Shea Stadium, and again Cincinnati was the opponent. The Mets took a 2-1 lead into the ninth; with three lefties due up for the Reds, manager Willie Randolph went with southpaw Koo. After Casey grounded out, however, Griffey singled and Adam Dunn walked. Looper was called into to close, and did so without further ado.

Koo’s finest hour in the majors came four days later. It merits full discussion. For detail of his most improbable batting and base-running exploits before a full house and national TV audience, see “Mr. Koo’s Wild Ride” on the SABR Baseball Games Project site.

It turned out that Koo hurt his pitching shoulder on his dive into home that sunny Saturday afternoon. He went through a bad patch – in four appearances after May 21, he got three outs while allowing five hits, two walks, a hit batter, and six runs (four earned). He gave up a game-turning, three-run homer to Florida’s Carlos Delgado in a Mets loss. In that stretch, his ERA rose from 3.38 to 5.65. An MRI revealed a bruised rotator cuff; he went on the disabled list on June 2.32

Willie Randolph said, “Sometimes it’s tough with communication; sometimes different cultures have different ways of approaching things. You assume guys are relatively healthy when they take the ball. But who knows? It’s a little disappointing if he did hurt himself and he didn’t give us a heads-up on it.” Koo admitted to lingering pain and thought his shoulder was at about 80-90%. Yet he had no regrets, saying, “I was doing what I could to help my team win. That was most important.”33 And in 2016, when asked to pick between his “Wild Ride” and the 1999 championship with the Eagles, he responded, “I have more memory of the Randy Johnson hit, and because of that, more people got to know better who I am.”34

Koo returned to action on June 22. He appeared in 11 more games in the majors, the last coming on August 20. Although he had pitched well since coming off the DL, the Mets sent him down to their Triple-A team in Norfolk on August 22, recalling righty Heath Bell to take his place.35 Koo pitched in just two games for the Tides over the rest of the regular season, plus two more in the International League playoffs.

The Mets designated Koo for assignment that September.36 In November, they declined to exercise their option on his contract for 2006.37 Nonetheless, when 2006 rolled around he was a non-roster invitee to spring training.38

On March 2, however, New York sold Koo’s contract back to the Hanwha Eagles. He took part in the first World Baseball Classic, which started the very next day. It featured a dramatic chapter in the long-running competition between South Korea and Japan. Emphasizing the rivalry, before the WBC began, Japanese star Ichiro Suzuki said, “I want to beat South Korea so badly that they won’t want to play Japan for another 30 years.”39 That remark incensed the Koreans. Indeed, Koo’s most prominent memory of the tournament was “when one of my teammates threw a beanball at Ichiro.”40

South Korea reached the semifinals, and Koo contributed out of the bullpen, allowing just one run in eight innings pitched.41 On March 5 at the Tokyo Dome, he got the win over Japan, pitching two perfect innings in relief. He said, “I was most nervous about the batters who I knew, because I knew they knew me as well. I tried to pitch the opposite of what they expected and it worked. I have a lot of international experience against them and I have never allowed more than three runs. So I always have confidence against them. I don’t think their hitters can hit my pitches.”42

Ten days later, in the second round, Korea faced Japan again at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Koo came on in the ninth to try to save a 2-0 lead for Byung-Hyun Kim (then a member of the Colorado Rockies). He gave up a homer to Tsuyoshi Nishioka (who played for the Minnesota Twins in 2011-12) and a single. However, Seung-Hwan Oh preserved the Pool 1 championship for the Koreans by striking out the last two batters.

The Koreans had a perfect record in the first two rounds. In the semifinals, however, they lost to the eventual champion – Japan. Koo did not pitch in that stinging 6-0 defeat.

From 2006 through 2010, Koo pitched in 218 games in the KBO, making just one start. Though his won-lost record was just 6-14, he posted 64 saves, including 37 in 2006. He pitched 214 innings, striking out 201 and notching a 3.22 ERA. (He was not on the roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic, in which South Korea finished second to Japan.)

In August 2010, Koo – aged 41 – announced his retirement from the KBO. He said, “The past few years have been tiring for me both physically and mentally. Although I have some regrets and lingering feelings, I think it’s time for me to leave my career in Korea. My children are studying in Australia, and I learned that Australia is starting a professional baseball league. I sent a letter to the league, and they have accepted me. I have turned down a salary. Instead, I asked the team to let me play for at least two years.”43

That team was the Sydney Blue Sox, and joining them was a win-win situation. The presence of a large Korean community in Australia’s biggest city was a secondary factor in Koo’s decision.44 In turn, the Blue Sox hoped that he would attract fans from that community, which supports more than 10 recreational baseball clubs. In addition, Koo was not just a marquee name – he still had value as a player. Blue Sox pitching coach Chris Oxspring (an Aussie who had also played in the KBO, Japan, and the majors) said, “Koo’s experience and just his presence late in a tight game will be massive for us.”45

Oxspring was right. Koo wound up playing five seasons for Sydney, appearing in 86 games (all but one in relief) and posting a won-lost record of 3-8 with 35 saves. In a total of 104 2/3 innings pitched, he struck out 107 and posted a sparkling 2.15 ERA. The Australian Baseball League named Koo its Reliever of the Year twice, in 2010-11 and 2013-14.

Assessing the caliber of competition in the ABL, many of its players are prospects in the U.S. minors at levels ranging from Rookie League to Class AA. Koo admitted too that his velocity had diminished.46 Yet, like so many veteran pitchers, he was crafty. One opposing batter said, “It’s tough because he’s got all the deceptions, and the ball comes from an angle behind his eyes – he can put the ball wherever he wants.” Koo’s conditioning helped as well. “You need to have a lot of stamina,” he said of pitching in his forties. “You need to keep running if you want to pitch for a long period of time.” 47

When asked to compare baseball across the four nations in which he had played, Koo said, “I think the USA is the prime baseball place. Japan was more elaborate in baseball skills. Korea had a strong view towards baseball like the USA. Australia was similar to the USA but more enjoyable with the team. All of them had a good strong view towards baseball and you can see everyone with passion and skills.”48

In November 2012, Koo traveled back to his homeland with the Perth Heat, ABL champions in the 2011-12 season. The occasion was the Asia Series, held that year in the city of Busan. That tournament brought together league champions from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, and Australia (plus the host team, Busan’s Lotte Giants). The Heat made a special exemption to add him to their roster, telling the KBO that including Koo would help promote baseball Down Under.49 Koo appeared in the second of the two games the Heat played, against Japan’s Yomiuri Giants. He allowed three runs (two unearned) while retiring one batter.50

The third World Baseball Classic was held in March 2013, but despite rumors the previous fall, Koo was not one of the 14 pitchers on the Australian roster.51 However, he did become a member of the Australian national baseball team – dubbed the Southern Thunder – in 2014. That squad played two exhibition games at the Sydney Cricket Ground on March 20 and 21 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks.52 Koo appeared in the Dodgers game, pitching one scoreless inning.53 With Los Angeles was Korean pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu, a former teammate of Koo’s with Hanwha. Ryu said, “He had a huge influence on my career, not only that he taught me a pitch or two, but that he taught me a lot of different things as a mentor.” In particular, Koo taught Ryu his change-up. Ryu made it a point to call Koo sunbae, a Korean term used to show deference to a senior or more experienced person.54

Later in 2014, Koo joined the Penrith Panthers in the NSW (New South Wales) State Baseball League, Australia’s top amateur circuit. He provided pitching depth and was an elder statesman for the team. “I’ve always been coaching and helping younger players in Korea,” he said. “So although my English isn’t that good, I just want them to trust in me and follow through with their training.”55

Koo added, “When the players can hit my ball, that’s when I’ll stop playing baseball.”56 He pitched in another 15 games as a pro with the Blue Sox in the 2014-15 season. The feisty veteran showed that his competitive drive remained strong. He was ejected from a game on November 9, 2014, after objecting to the umpire’s call on a pitch by drawing a line in the dirt at home plate.57

Penrith repeated as NSW state league champions in 2016, and Koo remained a helpful presence. He still pitched on occasion too. Head coach Shane Summersford said, “When Koo is on the mound everyone just seems to relax … he is loved by all his teammates and everyone that comes to watch him.”58 Koo also stayed in shape with the Marrickville club in the Sydney Winter Baseball League, as he had in previous years.

Koo kept up with the Korean League and Hanwha, although the Eagles have struggled in recent years. “I also sometimes watch Major League baseball and the stats,” he added. Teaching adults and kids the game in Australia remained his occupation. “Baseball was my only job since the beginning and therefore it was the most major and special thing in my life. All of the memories I have towards baseball are special and I respect it all. Baseball is me and what I love.”59

Koo returned to the Blue Sox as pitching coach in the 2016-17 season. The ABL added two expansion teams for the 2018-19 season, and Koo was a fitting choice as manager of one of the new clubs. Geelong-Korea, whose roster was composed of Koreans, played its first game in November 2018. Koo didn’t rule out the possibility that he could serve as a player-manager, although he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to because of lingering back problems. “I’d love to step on the mound,” he said, “but first and foremost my job will be to manage the team.”60

Indeed, Koo – at the age of 49 – did make one appearance as a pitcher, tossing a scoreless ninth inning on January 19, 2019 to end the season. Geelong-Korea posted a record of 7-33, and Graeme Lloyd replaced Koo as manager for the 2019-20 season.

Koo got back in the news in January 2023. By then 53, he returned to action with Geelong-Korea, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings in three games despite deliveries that reached just 75 miles per hour. He told Korea’s Joongang Daily, “I’ve never left baseball.”

Last revised: April 13, 2023

Acknowledgments

Grateful acknowledgment to Dae-Sung Koo for his input and to Shane Summersford for enabling the Q&A exchange (via e-mail, responses received October 13, 2016). Special thanks also to Kyle Kim and Jin Choi for their help with translating the questions into Korean and supplying additional questions.

Sources

YouTube.com

ibaf.org (currently defunct)

homeplate.kr (Korean baseball website)

japanesebaseball.com

worldbaseballclassic.com

theabl.com.au (official site of the Australian Baseball League)

asiaseries2012.com

swbl.baseball.com.au

Notes

60 “Ex-MVP pitcher to manage all-Korean team in Australian league,” Yonhap News, July 24, 2018.