PITTSBURGH • It is one thing to do it for Hanshin or Samsung in the Japanese and Korean pro leagues, respectively. But Cardinals reliever Seung Hwan Oh has been as good, or even better, than the numbers he brought with him to the States.
In 54 games last year with Hanshin in the Japanese Pacific League, Oh struck out 66 hitters in 69 1/3 innings, walking 16 and posting a 2.75 earned run average.
This year, for 31 games, Oh, who has a variety of pitches but also throws a high hard one more effectively than hitters might suspect, has struck out 46 batters, tied for first among league relievers, in 32 2/3 innings, walking only eight with an ERA of 1.