Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Kim Hye-seong has become just the second South Korean player to win a World Series title.
The Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in Game 7 of the World Series at Rogers Centre in Toronto in the early hours of Sunday for their second consecutive title. Kim replaced Miguel Rojas at second base to begin the bottom of the 11th inning, after Will Smith had given the Dodgers a 5-4 lead with a solo home run in the top half of that inning.
It was Kim's first appearance in this World Series, making him the fifth South Korean player to appear on the game's biggest stage after pitchers Park Chan-ho, Kim Byung-hyun and Ryu Hyun-jin, and infielder Choi Ji-man.
Only Kim Byung-hyun and now Kim Hye-seong have won championship rings.
Kim Hye-seong signed with the Dodgers in January after eight seasons with the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The utility man played 71 games in the regular season, splitting time at second base, shortstop and center field. At the plate, Kim batted .280/.314/.385 with three homers, 17 RBIs and 13 steals.
In his only other postseason game, Kim scored the winning run as a pinch runner to help the Dodgers beat the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in 11 innings in Game 4 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) on Oct. 9. (Yonhap)
