Although the first round of the World Baseball Classic can feature some unbalanced matchups, we have had a couple of upsets so far. It's also great just to have some competitive baseball back on TV, even if I have to pretend I don't really need sleep in order to watch most of it.
Either way, my favorite player so far is Korea's Lee Yonk-Kyu. Lee started in right field and drew two walks in his team's upset loss to the Netherlands, but he is currently hitting leadoff and playing center field in the follow up against Australia. With another walk and a base hit, he has helped Korea build a 4-0 lead as it attempts to avoid elimination.
His on-base percentage aside though, the best thing about Lee is his batting stance. When the pitcher winds up to throw, Lee begins to slowly kick out his foot, eventually extending it all the way across the plate as the pitcher releases the ball. It's half-ninja, half-baseball and creates a second game within the game. Can the pitcher hit his leg if he trows fast enough? I bet he could! Will it happen? It might!
I think we have no choice except to cheer for Korea. The more games they play, the more I get to see a fastball headed straight for the karate kid's leg.
