Korean baseball is coming through in the clutch. As we all sit here dying for live sports, stuck watching sims, the KBO League announced a partnership with ESPN to air some of their games in the U.S.
But before you pooh-pooh it, there are some Cubs connections to the KBO to bring things closer to home.
To start, we’ve got a bit of an infamous name: Mel Rojas Jr., the son of former Cubs closer Mel Rojas.
If you don’t remember, Rojas Sr. signed with the Cubs before the 1997 season, coming off of two solid years in Montreal where he racked up 66 saves. But his time in Chicago was nothing short of a disaster. He never really had a chance to show his stuff early, as the Cubs lost 14 straight games to start the season. Rojas finally got his first save opportunity in the *19th* game of the season, and, of course, he blew it.
Things are going better for Rojas Jr. in the KBO though. According to myKBO Stats, since 2017, he’s hitting .310 with 85 homers and 274 RBI. If you want to follow him, he plays for the KT Wiz.
RELATED: Chicago's guide to the KBO
Next up is another guy with a horrible Cubs career: Dan Straily.
MLB
Straily initially came to the North Side as part of the trade for Addison Russell that sent Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland. In 2013, Straily pitched 152.1 innings with a 3.96 ERA. Something in the Lake Michigan water didn’t jive with Straily, and his ERA ballooned to 11.85. He only pitched 13.2 innings in Chicago before moving on to Houston.
But according to myKBO Stats, Straily has gotten off to a good start in Korea. He’s pitched in one game for the Lotte Giants, going 5.2 IP and surrendering two earned runs.
Former Cubs first baseman Hee-Seop Choi has returned to his homeland as a hitting coach for the Kia Tigers. While he wasn’t known for his hitting in Chicago, only slashing .210/.337/.401 in two seasons, time will tell if he can help the Tigers. As of Tuesday morning, the Tigers have only played one game this season.
Admittedly, this next one is a stretch, but he’s got a local angle, too: Eric Jokisch.
From Virginia, Illinois, about 45 minutes northwest of Springfield, Jokisch stayed in-state to play baseball at Northwestern. The Cubs drafted Jokisch in 2010, and he signed with the team. He only pitched 14.1 innings in his MLB career, but did throw a no-hitter with the Tennessee Smokies back in 2013.
Jokisch has found success with the Kiwoom Heroes. According to myKBO Stats, he started 30 games last season, had a 3.13 ERA with a 1.13 and posted 141 Ks to go with only 39 walks. Oh, and he pitched another shutout, too.
So if you’re looking for a little extra intrigue while tuning into Korean baseball, maybe give one of these teams a try.
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