by Tae-in Chun

In Korean baseball, overseas expansion was long narrowed to two choices: NPB and MLB. Going overseas meant these two leagues, and it was not easy to think first of other options. It was not that the system blocked them, but there were few attempts to widen the range of choices. Most players followed the proven path, and that choice was also a way to guarantee a more stable career.

Dae-sung Koo’s challenge, which began within this flow, was different. He started his career in Korea, then passed through Japan and the United States. Under the usual pattern, the choices would have ended there. But even after returning to Korea, he did not stop. He headed to the Australian league, and later expanded his field of activity all the way to the Chinese league. In that way, a path that had not existed before was created.

From Daejeon High School and Hanyang University to Becoming Hanwha’s Closer

A practice game at a high school in Daejeon in the late 1980s. In the ninth inning, he created a bases-loaded situation himself with consecutive walks. It was a situation where a replacement could have come in, but he remained on the mound. He then struck out all three batters in a row and ended the inning. After the game, he said of the situation, “It’s fun.”

Because of the way he handled crises shown in this scene, he was once called one of “baseball’s three great eccentrics” along with Byung-hyun Kim and Sung-hoon Jung. During his time at Daejeon High School, he was used as a central pitcher from his first year, and made his name by winning the 1987 Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Tournament.

After graduating from high school, he entered the Hanyang University baseball team. From his first year, he helped the team win three major college baseball titles, and he was selected for the national team after winning the Best Pitcher award in all three tournaments. Later, together with Min-tae Jung, he led Hanyang University’s mound and helped create the golden age of college baseball.

He also showed his presence in international tournaments. At the 1989 Intercontinental Cup, he faced Japan’s Hideo Nomo and recorded a complete-game loss after allowing three runs over 10 innings. Although it was not a victory, the game left the impression that he was a pitcher strong against Japan. Later, in an International Baseball Federation tournament, he earned a complete-game win against Japan after allowing one run over 10 innings, and he also made his name on the international stage with a shutout win against the United States and the Outstanding Pitcher award at the 1991 Intercontinental Cup.

In 1992, when he was a senior, he was the center of the team’s pitching staff. At the time, Hanyang University often used left-hander Myung-joo Cha and right-hander Chan-ho Park as starters, while Dae-sung Koo handled middle relief and closing duties. Chan-ho Park later named him the best left-hander in Korea in an interview.

After entering the professional ranks, he established himself as a closer for the Binggrae-Hanwha Eagles. He won the 1999 Korean Series and was named MVP, and while moving between starting and relief roles, he recorded both wins and saves. In 2001, he transferred to the Orix BlueWave of Nippon Professional Baseball.

The Pitching Form He Changed in Japan, and the Scene He Left in New York

During his time with the Orix BlueWave in Nippon Professional Baseball, he needed time to adjust early on. But from his second year, he produced stable results. He ranked second in the Pacific League in ERA, and from 2001 to 2004, he moved between starting and relief roles while maintaining an ERA in the three-run range. Because the team remained near the bottom of the standings, the attention he received was not large compared with his performance.

In Japan, he modified his pitching form. The turning point came when Senichi Hoshino, who was on Japan’s coaching staff during the Korea-Japan Super Game, personally told him that his pitches could be read from the position of his glove and the movement of his arm. Based on that, he adjusted his motion so that the ball would be revealed later. In the process, the rotation of his body became larger. It developed into a form in which he hid the ball until the release point, and the so-called “twist” pitching form took shape.

In 2004, during the process of the club’s merger, he recorded the final win before the team name was changed. The team was later reorganized as the Orix Buffaloes. He chose to enter Major League Baseball and joined the New York Mets in 2005.

In Major League Baseball, he pitched in middle relief, appearing in 33 games and recording an ERA in the three-run range without a win or loss. He also received one opportunity at the plate. In a 2005 game against the New York Yankees, he hit a double off Randy Johnson. Then, on a bunt by José Reyes, he saw that the area near catcher Jorge Posada was open and charged all the way home to score. At the time, Mike Piazza said he would donate one million dollars if Dae-sung Koo got a hit in his next at-bat. And it did, in fact, lead to a donation.

A Challenge That Continued in Australia

After Major League Baseball, he returned to Korea and pitched again for Hanwha. He later announced his retirement in 2010. But he did not leave the mound. That year, he joined the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League.

He recorded a save in the league’s opening game, leaving the first save in ABL history. With that record, he became a pitcher who had recorded saves in all three leagues: Korea, Japan, and Australia. That season, he became the league’s first saves champion with 12 saves. After that, he moved between closer and middle relief roles, and in the 2013–14 season, he again served as closer, recording an ERA in the two-run range and double-digit saves.

After his playing career, he served as pitching coach for the Sydney Blue Sox before becoming manager of Geelong Korea. The team operated in a format in which KBO prospects played as one team in the ABL during the offseason. In that way, the prospects were able to play games alongside players from Major League Baseball, the minor leagues, and the Japanese league. Through this process, many Korean baseball prospects were discovered. Through his experience with Geelong Korea, Chang-ki Hong established himself as a starting outfielder for the LG Twins, and Seung-hyun Baek converted from hitter to pitcher.

In 2019, he returned to the mound again. At the time, he was the manager of Geelong Korea and was 50 years old. During a game, he personally appeared as a pitcher and threw one scoreless inning. Of his 17 pitches, 10 were strikes. It was an event-style appearance arranged in consultation with the ABL.

Dae-sung Koo returned to the mound again in 2023. He was registered as an official player and appeared in a league game for the first time in four years. He was 53 years old at the time and threw pitches in the low 120 km/h range. MLB.com also covered the appearance and introduced his activities.

His choices did not end in Australia. He became the first manager of the Shanghai Dragons in the Chinese Baseball City League[오전1] , founded in 2025. At the new club, he took charge of both player composition and season operations, and former KBO players also joined as the team was formed.

In the end, Dae-sung Koo directly showed that Japan and the United States are not the only stages where Korean baseball players and coaches can be active. That is why his next choice naturally draws curiosity as well. Dae-sung Koo’s baseball life is still ongoing.

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 [오전1]Chinese Professional Baseball(CPB)