It's official! The Flyers have added World Series Champ and NL All-Star Byung-Hyun Kim for the 2010 season. I know, I know, a lot of you remember lots of NYY home runs, but after that 2001 World Series, Kim bounced back to have his best season in the bigs, making the NL All-Star team in 2002. Many remember him as a reliever, but he did have success as a starter later on during his 9-year MLB career.
My guess would be that if Kim wants to start, and his arm is up for it, then he could be toward the top of the rotation. And yes, "toward the top" but not necessarily the "ace" of the staff considering the years that both Matt Durkin and Jesse Smith are coming off of. Durkin was named GBL pitcher of the year, notching a league-best 11-wins, and Smith wasn't far behind the lead with 10. Now you add B-Kim to the mix, and the Flyers now appear to be one of the stronger pitching team in the GBL.
Here's the official press release from the OC Flyers website:
The Orange County Flyers have agreed to terms with nine-year MLB veteran pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim. The South Korean, who won a World Series with Arizona, was selected to the 2002 National League All-Star team, and he played for South Korea in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. The announcement coincides with the Flyers releasing individual game tickets now on sale through the team website. Kim will provide first-year manager Paul Abbott a major league caliber arm for his pitching rotation in 2010.
Kim, 31, made his Major League debut May 29, 1999, and spent five seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks primarily as the team's closer, leading the team in saves in 2001 and 2002. The submarine-style pitcher is best remembered for surrendering game-tying homeruns in the late innings of Games 4 and 5 of the 2001 World Series to the New York Yankees. The Diamondbacks claimed the title in Game 7 at Bank One Ballpark, earning Kim his first championship.
The reliever followed his uneven World Series performance by showcasing the best season for a closer in Diamondbacks history. Kim recorded a team-record 36 saves on his way to a career-best 2.04 ERA and 8-3 record in 2002, earning a spot on the National League All-Star team.
The Diamondbacks experimented with Kim as a starter in 2003, and despite his 3.56 ERA, he went just 1-5 in seven starts and was traded to the Boston Red Sox in May for Shea Hillenbrand. The Red Sox returned Kim to the bullpen, where he finished 35 games for the club and recorded 16 saves. In 2004, Kim pitched in seven games for the Red Sox due to a past ankle injury that limited his effectiveness. Boston went on to win the World Series that season. In 2005-06, Kim worked his way into the starting rotation for the Colorado Rockies, making 49 starts over two seasons, and going 13-24 in that time. He spent 2007 between Colorado, a return-stint to Arizona, and with the Florida Marlins where he finished his season with 19 starts, going 9-5 with a 5.42 ERA.
This spring, Kim had a brief stint with the San Francisco Giants but was released after one Cactus League appearance in spring training. Harris Tulchin, executive VP of player personnel, inked Kim in an attempt to launch the pitcher's comeback to the Major Leagues.
Kim joins fellow former big-leaguers, infielder Keith Ginter and outfielder Ben Johnson, to give the Flyers plenty of big-league experience as Orange County attempts to become the first two-time GBL Champions.
Flyers individual game tickets are now on sale and available online through the team website at www.OrangeCountyFlyers.com. The Flyers' home opener is on Tuesday, June 15 against the 2009 GBL Champion Calgary Vipers in a match up of the past two GBL Champions.
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