After graduating from Yushin High School,Yoo was drafted by the Hyundai Unicorns in the second round (20th overall) of the 2000 KBO Draft. Yoo did not sign with them;instead he opted for college,attending Dongguk University. Yoo was a four-year starting third baseman for Dongguk University from 2000-2003. As a junior in 2002,Yoo was selected for the South Korean national team in the Intercontinental Cup held in Havana,Cuba,where he played mostly as a backup third baseman behind Hanwha Eagles star Lee Bum-Ho.
Year | Venue | Competition | Team |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | ![]() | Intercontinental Cup | ![]() |
In 2004,Yoo made his KBO pro league debut in the Hyundai Unicorns. The Unicorns assigned him to the Unicorns second team for the 2004 season.
Yoo was promoted to the first team in the 2005 season but only batted .192 with 5 hits in 26 at-bats in 18 games.
After the 2005 season,Yoo converted his position to third baseman to outfielder. In 2006,his first season as an outfielder,Yoo became a fixture in right field of the Unicorns.
In 2007,Yoo hit .223 with 5 home runs and 35 RBI for the Unicorns. He missed the next two years due to military service.
In 2010,Yoo returned to baseball with the Nexen Heroes. On May 19,Yoo gained notability with his performance against the SK Wyverns,tying the all-time single-game record for RBI. In that game,he drove in 8 runs,going 5-for-6 with 2 home runs. As a consistent full-time outfielder,Yoo finished the season with career-bests in all offensive categories,ranked 4th in the KBO league in at-bats (481),7th in hits (140),8th in doubles (27),12th in RBI (79) and 22nd in batting average (.291). After the 2010 season,Yoo was selected for the South Korea national baseball team to compete in the Intercontinental Cup held in Taichung.
In 2021,Yoo retired from professional baseball. [1] [2]
Year | Venue | Competition | Team | Individual Note |
---|---|---|---|---|
2007 | ![]() | Baseball World Cup | 5th | .212 (7-for-33),6 RBI,4 R |
2010 | ![]() | Intercontinental Cup | 6th | .321 (9-for-28),4 RBI,3 R |
The KBO League,officially the Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League,is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most successful team,having won 11 of the 42 championships.
Larry James Sutton is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals,Oakland Athletics,St. Louis Cardinals,and Florida Marlins. He also played in the KBO League for the Hyundai Unicorns and Kia Tigers.
Park Jae-hong is a retired South Korean outfielder in the KBO League. Park was considered one of the best five-tool players in the KBO. He was the first player in KBO history to have 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases and the only player to have more than two seasons of 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases,doing so a record three times:. He was a 30-30 player in his debut season (1996),the only person to do so until Mike Trout,who did it in 2012.
Park Jong-ho is a retired South Korean second baseman who played 17 seasons in the KBO League. He was a switch hitter,and threw right-handed. Park was the first switch hitter to win a batting title in KBO history.
The Hyundai Unicorns were a South Korean professional baseball team based in Suwon. They were a member of the KBO League. The Unicorns won the KBO championship four times.
Kim Tae-kyun is a South Korean first baseman who plays for the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO League. He bats and throws right-handed. He is one of the top career hitters in the KBO,with a lifetime batting average over .320,and more than 300 career home runs and 1300 runs batted in.
Park Yong-taik is a South Korean outfielder who has played his entire career for the LG Twins in the KBO League. With 2,504 career hits,he is the all-time career hit leader in the KBO. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.
Jeong Keun-woo is a second baseman and shortstop who currently plays for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.
Lee Taek-keun is an outfielder who plays for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.
Lee Bum-ho is a South Korean former third baseman who played primarily in the KBO League. He bats and throws right-handed.
Song Ji-man is a South Korean former outfielder in the Korea Baseball Organization professional baseball league. He bats and throws right-handed.
Kim Min-woo is a retired South Korean infielder. He batted and threw right-handed.
Jung-ho Kang is a South Korean former professional baseball third baseman. He played in the KBO League for the Hyundai Unicorns and Nexen Heroes,as well as in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Kang Kwi-tae is a South Korean catcher for the Kia Tigers of the KBO League. He bats and throws right-handed.
Byung-ho Park is a South Korean professional baseball designated hitter and first baseman for the KT Wiz of the KBO League. He previously played for the LG Twins and Kiwoom Heroes,and Minnesota Twins of Major League Baseball (MLB). In the KBO,Park had two consecutive seasons with 50 home runs (2014–2015) and was the home run title winner for four consecutive seasons (2012–2015). He holds the KBO record for runs batted in during a single season,with 146 RBI in 2015.
Lee Ho-Joon is a former South Korean professional baseball designated hitter and first baseman in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed. Lee ranks fourth all-time in the KBO League in both home runs and runs batted in.
Jae-gyun Hwang is a South Korean professional baseball infielder for the KT Wiz of the KBO League. He previously played for the Hyundai Unicorns,Nexen Heroes,and Lotte Giants. Hwang has also played for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Shim Jeong-soo is a former South Korean professional baseball outfielder who played for the Doosan Bears,the Hyundai Unicorns,and the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. A power hitter,Shim's teams won the Korean Series five teams —once with the Bears,twice with the Unicorns,and twice with the Lions. In fact,Shim's teams won four consecutive KBO championships from 2003 to 2006.
Kang Baek-ho is a South Korean professional baseball left fielder for the KT Wiz of the KBO League.
Lee Kang-chul is a South Korean former professional baseball pitcher and current manager of the KT Wiz.
| |
|