Ko Young-Min
Encyclopedia
Ko Young-Min (born February 8, 1984 in Seoul
, South Korea
) is a South Korea
n second baseman
who currently plays for the Doosan Bears
in the Korea Baseball Organization
. He bats and throws right-handed.
in the second round (17th overall) of the 2002 KBO
Draft. He had several mediocre season, spending most of his time in the reserve team of the Bears.
In 2006, Ko became a fixture in second base for the Bears as veteran second baseman Ahn Kyung-Hyun moved to first base due to deteriorating health. Ko batted a career-high .270 with 85 hits
, 29 RBIs, a career-high 5 triple
s, and 14 stolen base
s, appearing 116 games as a starting second baseman
.
In 2007, Ko batted .268, compiling a career-high 12 home run
s, 119 hits and 66 RBIs while appearing all 126 regular-season games. He led the KBO league in run
s (89), and 3rd in stolen bases (36). After the season, he won his first Golden Glove Award at second base.
In 2008, Ko batted .267 with a career-high 70 RBIs, 114 hits, 84 runs, 39 stolen bases and 9 home runs. He led the KBO league in walks (74), and ranked 3rd in runs, 4th in stolen bases and 13th in RBI.
In August 2008, Ko competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics
, where they won the gold medal in the baseball tournament
. Ko's big hit in the Olympics was a 3-run homer off of Yang Chien-Fu in the 8-7 Korean win over Chinese Taipei.
Prior to the 2009 KBO season, Ko participated in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
in March 2009. In the WBC, he batted .308 with 4 hit in 13 at-bats, sharing the starting second base position with Jeong Keun-Woo
. In Round 2, Ko smacked a solo home run off New York Mets
starter Óliver Pérez
in the bottom of the 5th inning to lead his team to a 8-2 victory over Mexico
.
Bold = led KBO
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...
) 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 second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
who currently plays for the Doosan Bears
Doosan Bears
The Doosan Bears are a professional baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. They are a member of the Korean Baseball Organization....
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 and throws right-handed.
Professional career
Upon graduation from Seongnam High School, Ko was drafted by the Doosan BearsDoosan Bears
The Doosan Bears are a professional baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. They are a member of the Korean Baseball Organization....
in the second round (17th overall) of the 2002 KBO
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...
Draft. He had several mediocre season, spending most of his time in the reserve team of the Bears.
In 2006, Ko became a fixture in second base for the Bears as veteran second baseman Ahn Kyung-Hyun moved to first base due to deteriorating health. Ko batted a career-high .270 with 85 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, 29 RBIs, a career-high 5 triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
s, and 14 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, appearing 116 games as a starting second baseman
Second baseman
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base...
.
In 2007, Ko batted .268, compiling a career-high 12 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s, 119 hits and 66 RBIs while appearing all 126 regular-season games. He led the KBO league in run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
s (89), and 3rd in stolen bases (36). After the season, he won his first Golden Glove Award at second base.
In 2008, Ko batted .267 with a career-high 70 RBIs, 114 hits, 84 runs, 39 stolen bases and 9 home runs. He led the KBO league in walks (74), and ranked 3rd in runs, 4th in stolen bases and 13th in RBI.
In August 2008, Ko competed for the South Korea national baseball team in the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, where they won the gold medal in the baseball tournament
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...
. Ko's big hit in the Olympics was a 3-run homer off of Yang Chien-Fu in the 8-7 Korean win over Chinese Taipei.
Prior to the 2009 KBO season, Ko participated in the 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...
in March 2009. In the WBC, he batted .308 with 4 hit in 13 at-bats, sharing the starting second base position with Jeong Keun-Woo
Jeong Keun-Woo
Jeong Keun-Woo is a second baseman and shortstop who currently plays for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.-Amateur career:...
. In Round 2, Ko smacked a solo home run off New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
starter Óliver Pérez
Oliver Pérez
Óliver Pérez Martínez is a left-handed pitcher currently in the Washington Nationals organization.-San Diego Padres:...
in the bottom of the 5th inning to lead his team to a 8-2 victory over Mexico
Mexico national baseball team
The Mexico national baseball team is the baseball team which represents Mexico in international tournaments. They are currently the eighth ranked baseball team in the world.-Pan American Games:*1951 Bronze Medal *1963 Bronze Medal...
.
Career stats
| Year | Team | Pos | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | TB | SB | CS | SH | BB | HBP | K | GIDP | E | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS |
| 2002 | Doosan Doosan Bears The Doosan Bears are a professional baseball team based in Seoul, South Korea. They are a member of the Korean Baseball Organization.... |
2B Second baseman Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. A second baseman is the baseball player guarding second base... |
16 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .100 | .100 | .100 | .200 |
| 2003 | 2B | 32 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .231 | .231 | .231 | .462 | |
| 2005 | 2B | 16 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | .118 | .167 | .118 | .285 | |
| 2006 | 2B | 116 | 315 | 38 | 85 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 29 | 116 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 24 | 12 | 59 | 6 | 11 | .270 | .337 | .368 | .705 | |
| 2007 | 2B | 126 | 444 | 89 | 119 | 29 | 1 | 12 | 66 | 186 | 36 | 10 | 14 | 61 | 17 | 105 | 9 | 9 | .268 | .368 | .419 | .787 | |
| 2008 | 2B | 126 | 427 | 84 | 114 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 70 | 162 | 39 | 9 | 13 | 74 | 14 | 109 | 10 | 9 | .267 | .383 | .379 | .762 | |
| Total | 2B | 432 | 1226 | 216 | 324 | 59 | 9 | 23 | 166 | 470 | 91 | 30 | 35 | 159 | 44 | 286 | 25 | 30 | .264 | .360 | .383 | .743 | |
Bold = led KBO
Notable international careers
| Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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... |
 |
.462 BA (6-for-13), 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R | |
| 2008 | Final Olympic Qualification Tournament | |
.368 BA (7-for-19), 4 RBI, 10 R | |
| 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... |
 |
.208 BA (5-for-24), 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 R | |
| 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... |
|
.308 BA (4-for-13), 1 HR, 1 RBI, 4 R | |
Trivia
- His nicknames are "Kodget" (it was made of his family name Ko and a character GadgetInspector GadgetInspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
who can do everything) and "outer second baseman" (his defensive position is wider than any other second basemen). - There is a rumor that he is a member of Soka Gakkai InternationalSoka Gakkai Internationalis a lay religious movement within Nichiren Buddhism, a branch of Mahayana Buddhism derived from the teachings of the thirteenth-century Japanese monk, Nichiren Daishonin....
, a lay Buddhist association affiliated with the teachings of NichirenNichirenNichiren was a Buddhist monk who lived during the Kamakura period in Japan. Nichiren taught devotion to the Lotus Sutra, entitled Myōhō-Renge-Kyō in Japanese, as the exclusive means to attain enlightenment and the chanting of Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō as the essential practice of the teaching...
.