Struck out Wells too. Cat got a hit and Kim hit a guy. Good save, I was seating it big time. If that's not clutch to strike out Wells and Delgado, I don't know what is.
``He's so confident, almost to the point of arrogance. That's the guy you want on the mound in the ninth inning, the guy who doesn't think he can get beat at any time. That's him for sure.'' -- Boston catcher Doug Mirabelli on Byung-Hyun Kim after he closed out the Red Sox's 8-7 win over Toronto on Wednesday night.
Yes, he always had the ability to step in and be a solid closer. In fact, Kim is probably the third or fourth best closer in the AL right now, possibly behind only Foulke, Percival and Rivera.
He did get awfully lucky on those final two strike calls to Hinske though (the first more than the second).
Other than that, still great to see him in the position, and apparently giving it his all even though he was hoping to avoid returning to the closer roll.
Question about Kim - anytime he is interviewed in the Boston print media it is always listed as having been through an interpreter, yet out in the game he seems to chat it up plenty, and without difficulty, with the catcher.
Is he just self conscious about his less than perfect English with the media? Or does he really not know much English at all other than a handful of key pitcher/catcher related phrases?
I hope it's the former, because it strikes me that it must make the dugout kind of a lonely place if you don't speak the language.
And I've always had a softspot for the guy since the blown saves in the World Series.
They were actually talking about it during yesterday's game. Although he's not fully fluent, Kim has a very good understanding of English. He generally understands everything that is said to him and is able to communicate back pretty proficiently. In fact, the Boston announcers said they had been in the bus going to a game with him recently, and they couldn't shut the little chatterbox up.
I would assume that he uses an interpreter just so that his points come across properly, and he doesn't have one of his statements misundertood. Can never be too careful around the press!!
"One of the teams represents truth, justice, the American way, and underdogs everywhere. The other represents George Steinbrenner!" - U.S. News and World Reports columnist John Leo on the difference between the Mets and the Yankees.
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by Hyde » Wed Jul 09, 2003 10:13 pm 
