2024 Korean Series

The 2024 Korean Series was the 42nd Korean Series. It featured the Samsung Lions against the KIA Tigers, the two most successful teams in Series history. Their last head-to-head Series, though, had been the 1993 Korean Series.

The Teams

Samsung Lions

The Samsung Lions had won 8 Series, but the last one had been in 2014. They were managed by Jin-man Park. They had gone 78-64-2 in the 2024 KBO, second-best behind KIA, then beat the LG Twins in the playoffs. Their offense was in the middle of the pack (770 R) but they allowed a league-low 719 in a hitter-dominated season (the team ERA was 4.68). LF Ja-wook Koo (.343/.417/.627, 39 2B, 33 HR, 115 RBI) was 4th in the league in average, 5th in homers, 4th in RBI and 4th in OBP while CF Ji-chan Kim (.316/.405/.384) was 3rd with 102 runs. Veteran catcher Min-ho Kang batted .303/.365/.496 with 19 homers. Connor Seabold (11-6, 3.43) and Tae-in Won (15-6, 3.66) were the top two starters, Seabold finishing 5th in ERA and Won tying for the win lead. Seung-hwan Oh was second with 27 saves but the legendary closer was only 3-9 with a 4.91 ERA.

KIA Tigers

The KIA Tigers, winners of 11 Series, had last won in 2017. Bum-ho Lee took over right before spring training when bribery charges cost the prior manager his job; he then guided the team to the best-regular season record at 87-55-2. They had the best ERA (4.40) but a league-worst 146 errors meant they allowed only the 4th-fewest runs. Their offense was superb, scoring 858 runs (5.96/game), 50 more than anyone else. 3B Do-yeong Kim had a historic campaign at .347/.420/.647 with 38 homers, 10 triples, 143 runs, 109 RBI and 40 steals. He tied the Asian professional run record and was second in average and homers; he was the youngest 30-30 player in league annals. A trio of veteran outfielders posted OPSes between 860 and 875 to supplement the 20-year-old Kim - Sócrates Brito hit .310/.359/.516 with 26 homers and 97 RBI, Sung-bum Na batted .291/.357/.511 with 21 dingers and 40-year-old Hyoung-woo Choi produced at a .280/.361/.499 clip with 22 homers and 109 RBI. James Naile (12-5, 2.53) won the ERA title while Hai-young Jung (2-3, 31 Sv, 2.49) led in saves.

The Games

• October 21/October 23: Tigers 5, Lions 1. The opener was suspended in the 6th inning due to rain, only to be completed two days later. It was the first suspended game in KBO postseason history. Hun-gon Kim's homer off Naile had staked the Lions to a 1-0 lead prior to the delay. Tae-in Won had been brilliant prior to the delay with five shutout innings. When the game resumed, though, his bullpen was not as sharp. Two wild pitches in the 7th by Chang-min Lin and a Brito single gave KIA a lead they would not relinquish.
• October 23: Tigers 8, Lions 3. The Tigers cruised this time as Dong-jae Hwang allowed five first-inning runs. Do-yeong Kim homered for the victors, while Hyeon-jong Yang gets the win. Lewin Díaz has four hits in a losing cause.
• October 25: Lions 4, Tigers 2. The Lions get their first win as Denyi Reyes allows one run in seven innings and they back him with four solo homers. Byung-ho Park's 14th postseason homer tied the record held by Seung-yeop Lee.
• October 26: Tigers 9, Lions 2. #9 hitter Tae-gun Kim hits the 5th grand slam in Korean Series annals.
• October 28: Tigers 7, Lions 5. The Lions jump to a 5-1 lead thanks to two two-run homers by Díaz as starter Hyeon-jong Yang is shaky. The bullpen turns in 6 1/3 shutout innings of relief, though, and the offense storms back. Choi becomes the oldest player to hit a postseason KBO homer at age 40 years, 10 months and 12 days. Sun-bin Kim is named Series MVP after going 10-for-17, edging Tae-gun Kim (who drove in the go-ahead run) 46 votes to 45.

Sources

• KBO site
• Yonhap News Agency