Song Jin-Woo gets strikeout 2000 on June 6,2008

Well June 6, 2008 will certainly go down as a day that I will never forget.

It was Korean Memorial Day and we had the day of from Woosong so I was going to have some fun that day.

I went to Yongsan station and went to the IMAX and finally saw KUNG FU PANDA. Then I went to see SEX AND THE CITY movie.

Then I remembered that the game started at 630, so I took the KTX train and went back to SeoDaejeon Station and caught a Taxi to Hanibat Stadium. I got there about 610 and soon realized that the game had started at 5pm. I found my friends there and started to watch the game.

I realized that #21 Jin-woo Song was pitching and I was wondering had he hit the 2000 strikeout total for his career yet. When I arrived he was at 1998 and I soon told the other foreigners that he was 2 away for history being made.

During the game I was talking to a few people that I had not sen in a while and met a friends girlfriend from Australia. This was her first baseball game.

Well then the next strike out had happened he was at 1999 and a few Korean kept telling us about 2000k total.The bad news was that it was now the top of the 7th inning and the score was still 0-0. I knew that Song had not gone past 5 innings too much and that he had to be tired.

Well he got to strike 2 and I was thinking ok this is it, no it was a ground out. First out. Then he got to strike 2 again and the crowd was getting ready to explode, but nope it was a pop fly so it was 2 outs and a coach came to the mound and the crowd was not happy. He stayed in the game and the crowd was ready.

I thought it was a strike and I yelled, then the count goes to 2-2 and then it happens, it was a clean miss. It was the end of the inning and Song had strike out #2000. The fireworks were going off and the crowd went crazy. I was yelling and cheering. It is not every day that you get to see career 2000 K and it was a great feeling.

I later told the lady from Australia that the Hanwha's Relief Pitcher, Brad Thomas, was from Australia also. She could not believe it, that he did not play cricket or football.

So the game went into the 10th inning and I told her that he is now pitching. He threw for 3 scoreless innings. It was now the bottom of the 12th and the score was still 0-0. Korea this season has done away with the tie ball game so we had no idea how long the game could go for. The bases were loaded and then the batter came to the plate and after a few pitches the pitcher threw the pitch and it hit the bater and the winning run came in. It was a 1-0 win. It was 12 innings but it was a win.

Then after the game I went to the Brickhouse where I found another surprise, one of my former students was now working at the bar. I knew that sooner or later that would happen. So I ordered my cheeseburger and was going to make it a short night.

A few minutes later both Clark and Thomas (The foreign players that play on the Hanwha Eagles) came in and ordered some food. We talked for awhile and I told them a great job today and what a day for 2000K'S. I asked can they please win without going to 12 innings. I later said that home games 8.5 innings would be the best.

The Australian lady showed up with her boyfriend and I introduced her to Thomas, They both knew where each other home towns were. I had earlier in the evening told Thomas that there was a lady from Australia in the stands and this was her first baseball game and that she loved the fact that you were pitching and that you were the winning pitcher.

It was a nice night and I said goodnight and see them at the game tomorrow.

Saturday was a nice day also.

I went to Songtan with Doug and had a nice time there. I had to catch the 215 train to Daejeon, it was standing but I did not mind. I found a nice spot to sit and go to the train station and went to the game.

This time was better, the Hanwha Eagles won the game 6-2. 2 things of note happened. I saw the pitcher throw at Clark and It hit him. Clark was ticked and started to go after him, the umpire grabbed him and did not hit the pitcher. I was screaming, it was an obvious throw at the batter. In the 9th inning It was 6-2 and I thought that I saw Thomas warming up and I said, na it cant be, he threw 3 innings the day before, he needs to rest.

After the game I went home and freshened up and went out. I ran into Jessie and he told me that there was a goodbye party going on for Ruth at WA-Bar. I asked him why he has returned and he said that his "friend" from Seoul was here. I said was this the same friend that he was going to Seoul for in the past, he said yes.

I told him JESSIE, IF IT LOOKS LIKE A DUCK, QUACKS LIKE A DUCK AND SWIMS LIKE A DUCK THEN DUDE, ITS A DUCK. (Meaning that he was saying that this girl was not his girlfriend)

I went to the War BAR, Where Is aw Clark and Thomas and the player from the Woori Heroes,Cliff Braumbaugh. I asked Thomas was that him warming up in the 9th, he said yes and I told Clark that he did a great job in not going after the pitcher that hit him with a pitch. I later talked to Cliff about his foul ball that hit the umpire in the nads. It was a real shot that dented the umpires cup.

I said good-bye to Ruth, she is leaving next week. Then went home and went to bed.

The game was canceled today 6-8-2008 due to rain.

Well it was a great weekend for baseball. I saw a 2000 career strikeout and had a good time.