Not All Heroes Wear Capes: Week 2

Author: Brett Sapin

It was another week of chaotic baseball in the Korean Peninsula’s premier baseball organization, and our Heroes in burgundy definitely had a few rough outings during this past week’s slate against the KT Wiz and the Samsung Lions.  But do you know what the mark of a true champion is? It is the team that absorbs punches and throws back even with their backs against the wall, and that is what the Kiwoom Heroes did in each of their 3 wins they collected this week.  And nothing epitomizes the grit this team has quite like the 6-run comeback victory over the Samsung Lions, with Moon Sung-hyun delivering a stellar performance out of the bullpen after shaky pitching from Kim Dong Joon and Lim Kyu-bin, and both Lee Jung-ho and Park Byung-ho driving in 3 runs to lead our Heroes to a gutsy win.  But even with the great performances, this team seems to be lacking the consistency that they once had a few weeks ago, as they have flip-flopped wins and losses the last 10 games.  Skipper Son Heuk needs more out of his depth guys, and especially needs his studs like Lee Jung-ho and ace pitcher Eric Jokisch to continue producing at a high level for this club.  We might be a top-heavy talent team, but with pieces like Addison Russell coming into the fold, and other young players developing in the wings, it is clear what this team’s direction is in the next few years, and that direction is the ultimate goal in Korean baseball: to win the big one.  But before we can win it all, we must take a look back at this past week to see who deserves the coveted Hero of the Week award, as well as look ahead to see which KBO teams are looking for a few more

Ls on their schedule once they face yours truly.

Hero of the Week: Eric Jokisch (2 GP, 1-0, 2 ER, 9 K)

Eric Jokisch strikes again.  Guy continues to put up ace numbers game in and game out, and his two starts this past week were no different.  His first game against KT resulted in him finishing with 0 runs earned and 4 Ks in 6 innings of work, and his second game, while he surrendered 2, was still a dominant performance, tossing 7 innings and fanning 5.  Jokisch is the top-tier arm this team has desperately searched for, and now with him in the fold, there’s no telling how high the ceiling is for the pitching staff and the team as a whole.

Matchup of the Week: NC Dinos (38-17, 1st place, 4 Games Ahead)

The matchup of the week is undoubtedly the matchup between Korea’s top two teams.  But the Dinos are frauds, and if there’s one thing our team is good at, it’s smelling weakness and attacking.  Also, this matchup is personal to me, as my girlfriend’s relative Mike Wright pitches for the Dinos, and while they say the smart thing to do would be to support your significant other’s family, I say otherwise, because I would never give up my Heroes fandom, even for my girlfriend. Even with our shaky record recently, I feel an impending sweep coming our way, so get your brooms out! And while we watch our Heroes from afar, don’t forget to hit your free throws!

Author: Brett Sapin