We look at the former Atlanta Braves players who are now in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), which got underway Tuesday morning.
If you’re like me and desperate for any kind of baseball and looking for a way to relate that to the Atlanta Braves, then the KBO is exactly what you’re looking for.
At first, I didn’t realize how many ties the Braves have in the KBO, but thanks to this article from Sports Illustrated, we see there are several players and coaches who used to be with the Braves.
In case you didn’t know, the KBO is one of the top professional baseball leagues in the world and their Opening Day was Tuesday morning (our time). I stayed up until midnight trying to get a glimpse of baseball action with ESPN now televising the games, and of course the first game had a 30-minute rain delay.
But it was fun to see some actual baseball being played I looked forward to following along with the KBO league closely until, hopefully, MLB is back.
And how well the KBO does over the next couple of weeks could lay the groundwork for whether or not MLB is ready to return.
Going back to the main point, there are several connections with the Braves and the KBO.
The first one to stuck out to me, and the only connection I thought there was initially, was Preston Tucker.
Atlanta acquired Tucker from the Houston Astros for cash before the 2018 season, and many of you might remember how huge he was to begin that season while we waited on Ronald Acuna Jr. to get called up.
They later traded Tucker to the Cincinnati Reds as part of the Adam Duvall trade, but the Braves were able to bring him back at the end of the season.
In his one season with the Braves, he hit .240 with 4 home runs in 129 at-bats. But again, he was red hot to start the season picking up 10 hits and 2 home runs in his first 23 at-bats.
He’s now playing for the Kia Tigers in the KBO who have another connection to the Braves in their pitching coach Anthony Lerew.
I’ll be honest and tell you that is not a name that I recognize or remember, but the Braves drafted him in the 11th round of the 2001 MLB Draft and spent three seasons with the Braves from 2005-2007 posting an 8.31 ERA in 21.2 innings.
In December of 2015, the Braves traded away a once highly touted catching prospect in Christian Bethancourt for a once highly touted pitching prospect in Casey Kelly.
Kelly, who is now a member of the LG Twins in the KBO, spent one year in Atlanta and posted a 5.82 ERA in 21.2 innings with just 7 strikeouts.
A name you should all remember is Julio Franco. The legend himself spent parts of six seasons in Atlanta, most notably from 2001-2005, and hit .291 with a .363 OBP during that time.
Franco was a joy to watch when he was with the Braves and a fan favorite. He’s now the hitting coach for the Lotte Giants and I would not be surprised at all if he gets and MLB job in the near future.
And finally, former Braves pitcher Jake Brigham is playing for the Kiwoom Heroes. Again, another name I don’t recognize, but he got his only cup of coffee in the big leagues with the Braves in 2015 when he posted an 8.64 ERA in 16.2 innings with 12 strikeouts.
Again, if you’re desperate for any baseball action like I am and need a connection to the Braves, there are plenty to choose from in the KBO. Their season is now underway and one game a day will be aired on ESPN.