Ryu Hyun-Jin
Encyclopedia
Ryu Hyun-Jin (Hangul
: 류현진, Hanja
: 柳賢振) (born March 25, 1987 in Incheon
, Gyeonggi-do
) is a South Korean left-handed
starting pitcher
who plays for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization
.
, South Korea
. In 2005, he led his team to the Blue Dragon Open National High School Championship, pitching 22 scoreless innings in the tournament, and was named Best Pitcher.
In 2005, he was selected for the South Korea national junior team that was runner-up at the 6th Asian Junior Baseball Championship in Seoul
, South Korea
. Ryu started the semifinal match against Chinese Taipei
, and helped his team reach to the final, earning 10 strikeouts and giving up one unearned run on 4 hits in 6 innings. During the competition, he pitched 8 innings with 14 strikeouts, and gave up an unearned run on 5 hits in 3 games (1 start).
Draft, and made his professional debut on April 12, 2006. In his rookie year of 2006, Ryu burst onto the scene, going 18-6 with a 2.23 ERA and 205 strikeouts in 201.2 innings pitched. He earned the pitching Triple Crown
, and was eventually named both Rookie of the year and Player of the Year. He became the only player in KBO history to win both the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP award in the same season.
In August 2008, Ryu competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they won the gold medal in the baseball tournament. In the Olympics, Ryu pitched a 1-0 complete game shutout victory over Canada
, giving up five hits in the team's third game of round-robin play. In the gold medal game against Cuba
, he pitched 8 innings, allowing two earned runs in a 3-2 victory.
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 류현진, Hanja
Hanja
Hanja is the Korean name for the Chinese characters hanzi. More specifically, it refers to those Chinese characters borrowed from Chinese and incorporated into the Korean language with Korean pronunciation...
: 柳賢振) (born March 25, 1987 in Incheon
Incheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
) is a South Korean left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
who plays for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization
Korea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
.
Amateur career
Ryu attended Dongsan High School in IncheonIncheon
The Incheon Metropolitan City is located in northwestern South Korea. The city was home to just 4,700 people when Jemulpo port was built in 1883. Today 2.76 million people live in the city, making it Korea’s third most populous city after Seoul and Busan Metropolitan City...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. In 2005, he led his team to the Blue Dragon Open National High School Championship, pitching 22 scoreless innings in the tournament, and was named Best Pitcher.
In 2005, he was selected for the South Korea national junior team that was runner-up at the 6th Asian Junior Baseball Championship in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Ryu started the semifinal match against Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some international organizations and almost all sporting events, such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Asian Games and Asian Para Games...
, and helped his team reach to the final, earning 10 strikeouts and giving up one unearned run on 4 hits in 6 innings. During the competition, he pitched 8 innings with 14 strikeouts, and gave up an unearned run on 5 hits in 3 games (1 start).
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Asian Junior Baseball Championship |  |
0-0; 0.00 ERA (3 G, 8.1 IP, 0 ER, 14 K) |
Professional career
In July 2005, Ryu was selected by the Hanwha Eagles with the 1st pick in the second round of the 2006 KBOKorea Baseball Organization
The Korea Baseball Organization is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. KBO should not be confused with the Korea Professional Baseball League. KBO was founded in 1981 and has been governing two leagues, Korea Professional Baseball and Futures League since...
Draft, and made his professional debut on April 12, 2006. In his rookie year of 2006, Ryu burst onto the scene, going 18-6 with a 2.23 ERA and 205 strikeouts in 201.2 innings pitched. He earned the pitching Triple Crown
Triple crown (baseball)
In Major League Baseball, a player earns the Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories. For batters, a player must lead the league in home runs, run batted in , and batting average; pitchers must lead the league in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average...
, and was eventually named both Rookie of the year and Player of the Year. He became the only player in KBO history to win both the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP award in the same season.
In August 2008, Ryu competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where they won the gold medal in the baseball tournament. In the Olympics, Ryu pitched a 1-0 complete game shutout victory over Canada
Canada national baseball team
Canada has qualified for two Olympic games, in 2004 and 2008. Canadian teams also competed twice when baseball was a demonstration sport, in 1984 and 1988.-1984 Summer Olympics:...
, giving up five hits in the team's third game of round-robin play. In the gold medal game against Cuba
Cuba national baseball team
The Cuba national baseball team is the national team of Cuba. The team is made up of amateur players from the Cuban national baseball system, as there are no professional sports leagues in Cuba...
, he pitched 8 innings, allowing two earned runs in a 3-2 victory.
Awards and honors
- 2006 Rookie of the Year
- 2006 Most Valuable Player
- 2006 Golden Glove Award (Pitcher)
- 2010 Golden Glove Award (Pitcher)
Achievements
- 2006 Wins Title
- 2006 ERA Title
- 2006 Strikeout Title
- 2007 Strikeout Title
- 2009 Strikeout Title
- 2010 Strikeout Title
- 2010 ERA Title
Fastball Average Speed
- 2006years 88.9 mile (143.23km/h)
- 2007years 89.3 mile (143.70km/h)
- 2008years 88.0 mile (141.61km/h)
- 2009years 88.2 mile (141.91km/h)
- 2010years 88.3 mile (142.01km/h)
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Asian Games Baseball at the 2006 Asian Games Baseball was one of the many sports which was held at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar beginning on November 29, 2006. Six East and Southeast Asian nations participated in the tournament. Chinese Taipei won its first ever baseball gold medal in the Asian Games when they mounted a ninth inning... |
 |
0-0; 9.95 ERA (2 G, 6.1 IP, 7 ER, 6 K) | |
| 2007 | Asian Baseball Championship Asian Baseball Championship The Asian Baseball Championship is the main championship tournament between national baseball teams in Asia, governed by the Baseball Federation of Asia . It is held every other year in odd-numbered years and since 1983 it also functions as the qualification games for the Baseball at the Summer... |
|
1-0; 0.00 ERA (1 G, 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 5 K) | |
| 2008 | Final Olympic Qualification Tournament | |
0-1; 3.00 ERA (2 G, 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 K) | |
| 2008 | Olympic Games Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics Baseball at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held from August 13 to August 23. All games were played at Wukesong Baseball Field, a temporary venue constructed at the Beijing Wukesong Culture & Sports Center... |
 |
2-0; 1.04 ERA (2 G, 17.1 IP, 2 ER, 13 K) | |
| 2009 | World Baseball Classic 2009 World Baseball Classic The 2009 World Baseball Classic was an international baseball competition. It is the only international baseball tournament to feature a large number of players from the major leagues of North America and Asia. It began on March 5, 2009, and finished March 23, 2009.Japan emerged victorious for the... |
|
1-0; 2.57 ERA (5 G, 7.0 IP, 2 ER, 7 K) | |
| Guangzhou Asian Games | |
1-0; 3.60 ERA (2 G, 10.0 IP, 4 ER, 8 K) | ||
External links
- Profile and stats on the KBO official site