Dong Dinger Slams Door on Angel Comeback Bid
Dong-Yub Kim blasted a grand slam to cap at five-run 8th, as the Cubs outlasted the Angels 11-8 in Cactus League Extended Spring Training action this morning at Fitch Park Field #3 in Mesa, AZ
DY Kim was one of seven highly-regarded Korean teenagers signed by the Cubs during the years 2007-10 (RHP Dae-Eun Rhee, OF Jae-Hoon Ha, SS Hak-Ju Lee, OF Kyung-Min Na, RHP Su-Min Jung, and RHP Jin-Young Kim were the others), receiving a $550K bonus as an 18-year old in February 2009. (The Cubs spent a total of $4M+ worth of signing bonuses on the Korean prospects).
Kim made his U. S. debut at AZ Instructs post-2009 as a raw, multi-tool outfielder, showing plus-speed, HR power, and a RF cannon-arm. He reminded me of a young, teenaged, Korean Jose Canseco. However, he sustained a torn labrum in his right shoulder at Instructs, causing him to miss the 2010 season, before finally returning to full active status in 2011.
Because of his shoulder injury, he no longer has a RF arm, and so he has been relegated to playing LF and occasionally 1st base. Although he has improved some defensively over the past couple of years, he still struggles to track high fly balls and hard-hit liners, and his outfield defense can best be described as below-average.
While his arm is not what it was when he signed, he still has plus-speed and is a good base stealer, and he will occasionally show-off his BP HR power (as he did today), although he does not hit as many home runs in games as he probably should because he is not a good hitter (he struggles to hit breaking balls, he strikes out a ton, and he rarely walks).
Cub fans will sometimes talk about this prospect or that prospect being at the crossroads and that this is a make-or-break year, but for Dong-Yub Kim, it probably is.
Here is the abridged box score from the game (Cubs players only):
CUBS LINEUP:
1. Danny Lockhart, 2B: 1-4 (K, 1B, 1-3, 4-3, R)
2. Carlos Penalver, SS: 1-4 (K, 1B, 6-3, 4-3, R)
3a. Jeimer Candelario, 3B: 1-3 (4-3, E-5, 1B, RBI)
3b. Mark Malave, 3B: 1-1 (1B, R)
4. Dan Vogelbach, 1B: 1-4 (2B, 3-6-3 DP, K, K, R)
5a. Gioskar Amaya, DH #1: 1-2 (F-9, 2B, BB, R)
5b. Wilfredo Petit, C: 0-0 (BB, R)
6. Trey Martin, CF-DH: 1-3 (P-4, L-4, 1B, F-9 SF, RBI)
7. Xavier Batista, RF: 1-2 (2B, BB, L-8, BB, 2 R, RBI)
8a. SLOT WAS SKIPPED FIRST TWO TIMES THRU BATTING ORDER
8b. Trevor Gretzky, DH #2: 1-2 (K, 1B, R)
9. Dong-Yub Kim, LF: 1-4 (6-3, K+WP, F-8, HR, R, 4 RBI, SB)
10. Wilson Contreras, C-DH: 1-3 (4-3, 1B, E-6, 2 RBI)
11. Garrett Schlecht, DH-CF: 0-2 (HBP, K, P-5, R)
CUBS PITCHERS:
1. Ian Dickson: 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 50 pitches (33 strikes), 5/2 GO/FO
2. Sheldon McDonald: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 1 GIDP, 23 pitches (19 strikes), 4/1 GO/FO
3. Pete Levitt: 2.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 1 GIDP, 26 pitches (19 strikes), 4/0 GO/FO
4. Felix Pena: 2.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R (5 ER), 2 BB, 0 K, 39 pitches (23 strikes), 2/4 GO/FO
CUBS ERRORS: 1
SS Carlos Penalver - E-6 (errant throw on attempted force play at 2nd base allowed runner to advance to 3rd base - eventually scored unearned run)
CUBS CATCHERS DEFENSE:
Wilson Contreras: 1-1 CS, 1 PB
Wilfredo Petit: 0-1 CS
CUBS OUTFIELD ASSISTS:
RF Xavier Batista - threw out batter-runner 9-6 trying to stretch single into double
ATTENDANCE: 19
WEATHER: Sunny and a bit breezy at times with temperatures in the 80’s
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