Hurricane Floyd
06-10-2002, 06:39 PM
NEW YORK -- Here are all the answers to all the questions you ever wanted to ask Arizona reliever Byung-Hyun Kim about last fall's World Series home run disasters:
Yes. No. No. No. No. Yes. Smile. Yes.
Vividly recall them? Do you give a hoot? Do you even know what a hoot is? Are you seeing a shrink? Does it worry you coming back to Yankee Stadium on Monday night in a regular-season matchup? Will the fans razz you? How will you react if they do? Are you a better pitcher now than you were then?
The Korean-born Kim was running late Sunday morning, arriving at Fenway Park in a dark gray-blue suit after most players had already munched French toast for breakfast. A teammate gave him some lip: "Just as long as you get here by the ninth inning, BK."
2001 World Series, Game 7
Yanks & D-Backs Interleague play reminds us of the BEST Series in recent history. Baseball's Best>
"BK late," nodded the 23-year-old Kim.
OK, Mr. Kim, please tell the folks of America once and for all -- we won't ask again -- how you felt then and how you feel now about giving up the ninth-inning, one-out, two-run homer to Tino Martinez at Yankee Stadium and the game-winner from Derek Jeter in Game 4, or the mind-blowing, game-tying shot by Scott Brosius in Game 5 when you seemed to crouch on the mound like a hurt child with fear in your eyes? Both games the Diamondbacks shoulda won, kid. What the heck happened?
"I was sorry, so sorry," said Kim of that especially painful Game 5 blast. "Sorry for my teammates, for my manager and fans and my family.
"But it's over. I don't care anymore. I have a strong mind and I'm fine now."
Perhaps millions of fans watching that game thought Kim would disintegrate mentally after that, go into a deep depression. Remember former Giants pitcher Atlee Hammaker self-destructing after giving up a grand slam in the 1982 All-Star Game? The poor guy was never the same again.
"Atlee was a fragile creature," said Arizona manager Bob Brenly, a teammate at the time.
Kim is a different animal. More fierce. Intense. Strong in a lot of ways.
"There's a misconception out there," said Brenly, "and the way BK reacted to the homer, going into a crouch on the mound and the look of disbelief on his face. I think everybody took that as some kind of a weakness in him.
"It wasn't. It was a natural reaction to what happened out there, and I think they read it the wrong way. Nothing that he did or said afterward showed that he was crushed. Nothing at all."
Kim has been a bit surprised at the ongoing questions about the Series, even this late in the season as has earned 16 saves this year with a 2-0 record and 1.41 ERA over 30 games and 38 1/3 innings.
No problems there in pitching or in spirit
In fact, Kim feels stronger physically, has more velocity on his pitches and has added a devastating changeup to his armory.
"It's worked out to be a really good pitch for him, especially against left-handers," explained Brenly. "But it's all confidence. He feels he should pitch every game, whether it's a save situation or not. He wants to be the guy on the mound in the ninth inning whether it's 1-0 or 11-0. He thinks that's part of his game."
Kim says he is never rattled now and can throw any pitch at any time.
But coming back to New York has to be a little strange. All those memories, those three losses his club suffered.
"It's nothing special coming back," said Kim. "It'll be the same as other games. I'll never forget those games, but there's no pain now. If the fans yell, I'll just smile at them. I always smile."
Brenly said in Spring Training he could tell the Series took no mental toll on Kim, but he does have a wish for this Interleague battle.
"It was never really a concern in my mind about Kim. I know a lot of people were," he said. "Looking at our return to Yankee Stadium, if there is a baseball god, we'll have three save opportunities and BK will go in there and 1-2-3 'em three times. In my dreams, that's what happens."
As his teammate mentioned Sunday against Boston, Kim did make it into the ninth inning, striking out two batters, whirling in his unique way on the mound.
Nothing on his mind except winning the game -- the one at hand.
source: mlb.com
Yes. No. No. No. No. Yes. Smile. Yes.
Vividly recall them? Do you give a hoot? Do you even know what a hoot is? Are you seeing a shrink? Does it worry you coming back to Yankee Stadium on Monday night in a regular-season matchup? Will the fans razz you? How will you react if they do? Are you a better pitcher now than you were then?
The Korean-born Kim was running late Sunday morning, arriving at Fenway Park in a dark gray-blue suit after most players had already munched French toast for breakfast. A teammate gave him some lip: "Just as long as you get here by the ninth inning, BK."
2001 World Series, Game 7
Yanks & D-Backs Interleague play reminds us of the BEST Series in recent history. Baseball's Best>
"BK late," nodded the 23-year-old Kim.
OK, Mr. Kim, please tell the folks of America once and for all -- we won't ask again -- how you felt then and how you feel now about giving up the ninth-inning, one-out, two-run homer to Tino Martinez at Yankee Stadium and the game-winner from Derek Jeter in Game 4, or the mind-blowing, game-tying shot by Scott Brosius in Game 5 when you seemed to crouch on the mound like a hurt child with fear in your eyes? Both games the Diamondbacks shoulda won, kid. What the heck happened?
"I was sorry, so sorry," said Kim of that especially painful Game 5 blast. "Sorry for my teammates, for my manager and fans and my family.
"But it's over. I don't care anymore. I have a strong mind and I'm fine now."
Perhaps millions of fans watching that game thought Kim would disintegrate mentally after that, go into a deep depression. Remember former Giants pitcher Atlee Hammaker self-destructing after giving up a grand slam in the 1982 All-Star Game? The poor guy was never the same again.
"Atlee was a fragile creature," said Arizona manager Bob Brenly, a teammate at the time.
Kim is a different animal. More fierce. Intense. Strong in a lot of ways.
"There's a misconception out there," said Brenly, "and the way BK reacted to the homer, going into a crouch on the mound and the look of disbelief on his face. I think everybody took that as some kind of a weakness in him.
"It wasn't. It was a natural reaction to what happened out there, and I think they read it the wrong way. Nothing that he did or said afterward showed that he was crushed. Nothing at all."
Kim has been a bit surprised at the ongoing questions about the Series, even this late in the season as has earned 16 saves this year with a 2-0 record and 1.41 ERA over 30 games and 38 1/3 innings.
No problems there in pitching or in spirit
In fact, Kim feels stronger physically, has more velocity on his pitches and has added a devastating changeup to his armory.
"It's worked out to be a really good pitch for him, especially against left-handers," explained Brenly. "But it's all confidence. He feels he should pitch every game, whether it's a save situation or not. He wants to be the guy on the mound in the ninth inning whether it's 1-0 or 11-0. He thinks that's part of his game."
Kim says he is never rattled now and can throw any pitch at any time.
But coming back to New York has to be a little strange. All those memories, those three losses his club suffered.
"It's nothing special coming back," said Kim. "It'll be the same as other games. I'll never forget those games, but there's no pain now. If the fans yell, I'll just smile at them. I always smile."
Brenly said in Spring Training he could tell the Series took no mental toll on Kim, but he does have a wish for this Interleague battle.
"It was never really a concern in my mind about Kim. I know a lot of people were," he said. "Looking at our return to Yankee Stadium, if there is a baseball god, we'll have three save opportunities and BK will go in there and 1-2-3 'em three times. In my dreams, that's what happens."
As his teammate mentioned Sunday against Boston, Kim did make it into the ninth inning, striking out two batters, whirling in his unique way on the mound.
Nothing on his mind except winning the game -- the one at hand.
source: mlb.com