The Los Angeles Dodgers did not have a Korean-born player on their roster for the Seoul Series, but the organization most recently had Hyun-Jin Ryu pitch for them from 2013-2019.
Ryu enjoyed a successful stint with the Dodgers as he went 54-33 with a 2.98 ERA, 3.32 FIP and 1.16 WHIP in 740.1 innings pitched across 126 games (125 starts).
The left-hander is now back in his native South Korea after signing an eight-year, 17 billion won ($12.8 million) contract with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League. Ryu began his professional career with the team in 2006 and pitched seven seasons for them before making the jump to MLB.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had a chance to catch up with Ryu while in Seoul, and he delivered Korean pastries to the team’s dugout.
“He was very prepared, he was one of the most calm pitchers I’ve ever been around,” Roberts said of Ryu.
“Just very even-keeled. I think people that got to spend time with him realized that he was a jokester who had a lot of laughs and had fun, made jokes. And then the bread was fantastic.”
Ryu enjoyed his best season with the Dodgers in 2019, which was Roberts’ fourth as Dodgers manager. It was a year that saw Ryu earn his only All-Star selection and lead MLB in ERA.
Ryu turned that success into a four-year, $80 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays prior to the 2020 season. At 34 years old, he will look to find pick up where he left off in his second stint with the Eagles.
Dave Roberts: Seoul Series was ‘absolute plus’ for Dodgers
While the earlier start to the regular season and long travel could be viewed as disadvantages to some, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes the Seoul Series was a position experience for his team. “Absolutely. It’s an absolute plus,” he began.
“Obviously we’d like to win two, but to come out of this series 1-1, keep our guys healthy, pray that both teams get home safely. You look at bringing Major League Baseball here to South Korea, it’s been a win for everyone.
“I can’t say enough how welcomed we felt here, the accommodations, the fans, the interest, the excitement. So yeah, it was absolutely successful.”
