KBO's hardest thrower named All-Star reserve

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, July 8 (Yonhap) -- The hardest-throwing starting pitcher in South Korean baseball this season was named an All-Star Game reserve Friday.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Kiwoom Heroes right-hander An Woo-jin will be among 13 reserves for the Nanum Team, made up of players from the Heroes, LG Twins, NC Dinos, Hanwha Eagles and Kia Tigers.

For the All-Star Game on July 16 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, the Nanum Team will go up against the Dream Team, featuring players from the SSG Landers, KT Wiz, Doosan Bears, Samsung Lions and Lotte Giants.

An is having the best season of his five-year career. He is second in the league with 114 strikeouts and third with a 2.18 ERA. An has been averaging a KBO-best 153.5 kph with his fastball, per statistics website Statiz.

The starters were selected based on votes from fans and fellow players. An led all Nanum starters in peer voting but was only third in fan voting.

Casey Kelly of the Twins, the league leader in wins with 11, was also chosen as a reserve, as was Drew Rucinski of the Dinos, whose 118 strikeouts lead all pitchers.

For the Dream Team, the defending Korean Series champions Wiz produced four reserves: starter So Hyeong-jun, reliever Ju Kwon, infielder Hwang Jae-kyun and outfielder Bae Jung-dae.

The Tigers ended up with the most All-Stars with eight, all of them starters. The Lions produced seven All-Stars, including six starters.

On the Nanum Team, Twins outfielder Kim Hyun-soo will replace Socrates Brito of the Tigers, who was voted on as a starter but suffered a broken nose on July 2 and is expected to be out for about a month.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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