Ko Jong-Wook
Encyclopedia
Ko Jong-Wook (born January 11, 1989 in Seoul
) is a South Korea
n outfielder
for the Nexen Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization
. He bats left-handed
and throws right-handed.
in Seoul
. After graduation, he went undrafted in the KBO Draft and began his collegiate career at Hanyang University
.
As a freshman at Hanyang University in 2007, Ko was handed the leadoff
spot in the team's line-up, leading the team in hitting with a .298 batting average
and helping Hanyang University to win its first national championship since , at the Fall League of the National Collegiate Championship.
In , Ko batted .337 and stole 12 bases, playing in 21 games as a starting center fielder
and leadoff hitter
.
In , Ko batted .377 with 9 stolen base
s in 22 games. After the 2009 collegiate season, he was first called up to the South Korean senior national team. With South Korea, he competed in the IBAF Baseball World Cup
. Ko batted .237, drove in 5 runs and stole 2 bases, playing in all 10 games as a starting right fielder
.
In , Ko batted a career-high .438, ranked first in the 2010 collegiate league, and stole 12 bases with 1.000 stolen base percentage
. As a member of the South Korean collegiate national team, Ko participated in the friendly baseball championship against the United States collegiate national baseball team
and the World University Baseball Championship
held in Japan
.
Entry Draft by the Nexen Heroes as the 3rd pick of the 3rd round, 19th overall. Ko started his rookie year with the expectation that he would earn the lead-off spot in the Heroes' batting order. However, he struggled at the plate, hitting just .179 and having no stolen bases in the first two weeks of the 2011 season. He was demoted to the minors
after going 1-for-3 against the SK Wyverns
on April 15.
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...
) is a 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...
n outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
for the Nexen Heroes 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...
. He bats 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...
and throws right-handed.
Amateur career
Ko attended Kyunggi High SchoolKyunggi High School
Kyunggi High School is the oldest modern secondary school in Korea, and has educated many leaders of South Korean society. Before the abolition of high-school entrance exams, it was the highest-ranked school in the country. It is located in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, today one of South Korea's most...
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...
. After graduation, he went undrafted in the KBO Draft and began his collegiate career at Hanyang University
Hanyang University
Hanyang University is one of the most prestigious universities in South Korea. In particular, Hanyang's School of Engineering is one of the oldest engineering schools in Korea. The main campus is Hanyang University at Seoul, located in the Seoul, with its branch campus, the ERICA campus , located...
.
As a freshman at Hanyang University in 2007, Ko was handed the leadoff
Lead off
In baseball, the term lead off or lead-off has two distinct meanings:- On the bases :In baseball, to lead off, or to take a lead, refers to the position a baserunner takes just prior to a pitch, a short distance away from the base he occupies. A "lead" can also refer to that distance. A typical...
spot in the team's line-up, leading the team in hitting with a .298 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
and helping Hanyang University to win its first national championship since , at the Fall League of the National Collegiate Championship.
In , Ko batted .337 and stole 12 bases, playing in 21 games as a starting center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
and leadoff hitter
Leadoff hitter
In baseball, a leadoff hitter is a batter who bats first in the lineup. It can also refer to any batter who bats first in an inning.- Strategy :...
.
In , Ko batted .377 with 9 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s in 22 games. After the 2009 collegiate season, he was first called up to the South Korean senior national team. With South Korea, he competed in the IBAF Baseball World Cup
2009 Baseball World Cup
The 2009 Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament that started on 9 September 2009. The final was held in Nettuno, Italy on 27 September 2009. It was the 38th time the World Cup took place, and the first time that it was hosted by a continent rather than a single country...
. Ko batted .237, drove in 5 runs and stole 2 bases, playing in all 10 games as a starting right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
.
In , Ko batted a career-high .438, ranked first in the 2010 collegiate league, and stole 12 bases with 1.000 stolen base percentage
Stolen base percentage
Stolen base percentage is a statistic used in baseball.A player's stolen base percentage measures his rate of success in stealing bases. Because stolen bases tend to help a team less than times caught stealing hurt, a player needs to have a high stolen base percentage in order to contribute much...
. As a member of the South Korean collegiate national team, Ko participated in the friendly baseball championship against the United States collegiate national baseball team
United States national baseball team
The United States National Baseball team represents the United States in international baseball competition. The United States has won the previous two Baseball World Cups, having lost this title to the Netherlands in 2011, and is currently second in the IBAF World Rankings, behind Cuba.The team...
and the World University Baseball Championship
2010 World University Baseball Championship
The 2010 World University Baseball Championship is an under-23 college baseball competition being held at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Shinjuku, Yokohama Stadium in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Utsumi-Shimaoka Ballpark in Fuchū and KAIT Stadium in Atsugi, Japan from July 30 to August 7, 2010.-Teams:The following 8...
held in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 |  EuropeConfederation of European Baseball The Confederation of European Baseball , is the governing body of baseball within Europe. The CEB was founded in 1953 with 5 members, which were Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. As of today, there are 38 members, excluding Armenia... |
Baseball World Cup 2009 Baseball World Cup The 2009 Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament that started on 9 September 2009. The final was held in Nettuno, Italy on 27 September 2009. It was the 38th time the World Cup took place, and the first time that it was hosted by a continent rather than a single country... |
9th | .237 BA (9-for-38), 4 RBI, 2 SB |
| Korea vs USA Baseball Championship | 0W-5L | .000 BA (0-for-15) | ||
| 2010 | World University Baseball Championship 2010 World University Baseball Championship The 2010 World University Baseball Championship is an under-23 college baseball competition being held at Meiji Jingu Stadium in Shinjuku, Yokohama Stadium in Naka-ku, Yokohama, Utsumi-Shimaoka Ballpark in Fuchū and KAIT Stadium in Atsugi, Japan from July 30 to August 7, 2010.-Teams:The following 8... |
4th | .318 BA (7-for-22), 0 RBI, 3 SB | |
Professional career
Ko was drafted in the 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...
Entry Draft by the Nexen Heroes as the 3rd pick of the 3rd round, 19th overall. Ko started his rookie year with the expectation that he would earn the lead-off spot in the Heroes' batting order. However, he struggled at the plate, hitting just .179 and having no stolen bases in the first two weeks of the 2011 season. He was demoted to the minors
Korea Baseball Futures League
Futures League is the 2nd highest level below that of Korea Professional Baseball in South Korea. It has a role as a farm league, whose the purpose is to develop players available to play in Korea Professional Baseball league on demand. Futures League consists of two small leagues that are...
after going 1-for-3 against the SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns
SK Wyverns Baseball Club is a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 2000. Based in Incheon, they play their home games at Munhak Baseball Stadium.Their current manager is Man Soo Lee .-History:...
on April 15.
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball World Cup 2011 Baseball World Cup The 2011 Baseball World Cup was an international baseball tournament held from October 1 to October 15, 2011. It was the 39th Baseball World Cup. The International Baseball Federation selected Panama to host the tournament, turning down bids from Chinese Taipei and Venezuela... |
6th | .200 BA (9-for-45), 2 RBI, 4 R | ||
External links
- Profile and stats on the KBO official site