*This content was translated by AI.
Although he couldn't return to the KBO League due to the disappointing KBO rules, Jake Cave (34)'s love for Korea seems to have been sincere. Cave's active recommendation was behind KT Wiz's new foreign hitter Sam Hilliard (32)'s choice of the KBO league.
Hilliard said at the 2026 KT spring camp training held at Kushikawa Baseball Stadium in Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan on the 26th of last month, "There are many Korean players in the Major League and many players who have played in KBO, so I knew the KBO League. When I was in the United States, I heard that KT was interested in me. "I was strongly impressed that KT wanted me very much, so it was an easy decision for me to decide to go to Korea," he said.
In December last year, KT signed a contract with Hilliard for a total of $1 million. Hilliard is a type of hitting a lot of line-drive balls at a strong batting speed, and a lot of long balls are expected. In addition, it has a wide range of defense and strong shoulders that can play center field in the Major League.
He did not stand out much in the Major League. He joined the Colorado Rockies in the 15th round of the 2015 rookie draft and made his debut in 2019 and played in 332 games with a batting average of 0.218 (181 hits in 831 at-bats), 44 homers, 107 RBIs and 26 steals, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.735.
It was not easy to decide to go to Korea. Korea, where his wife and first child, who are currently pregnant with their second child, are three years old, so they have no connection and can't communicate, was a strange place.
Colorado teammate Cave actively recommended Hilliard to go to Korea. Hilliard said: "I asked Cave for advice because I needed help making a decision after receiving an offer from KT. At the time, Cave said, "KBO teams value foreign players. He takes good care of not only the players but also his family. The league itself is a high-quality and fun place, so you'll be happy to play baseball. You're going to be good there, and you're going to like Korea,' he said.
Cave is a foreign hitter who played for Doosan last year. It was loved by team members and fans for its outstanding work ethic (work ethics and attitude) and fan service. At the end of the season, he was also mentioned as a candidate for the next captain while actively raising the team's atmosphere.
However, he failed to renew his contract due to his disappointing performance for a foreign hitter. Cave played in 136 games last year, batting average of 0.299 (161 hits in 538 at-bats), 16 home runs, 87 RBIs, 72 runs and 17 steals, and a 0.351 on-base percentage and a 0.463 slugging percentage. It can be seen as a satisfactory performance by using the wide Jamsil as its home stadium, but it lacked explosive power compared to other foreign hitters.
He also left a regretful finish. As Doosan tied Cave to a holdout player, he was unable to transfer to other KBO League teams for five years. He is already 39 years old in the 2031 season, meaning that he should not play in Korea.
In response, Cave publicly expressed his disappointment with Doosan on his SNS in November last year. At the time, Cave said on his SNS, "To Doosan fans. I wanted to play again in front of you, but the club had other plans." He said, "I wanted a chance to play in the KBO league. Unfortunately, however, the team made it difficult for me to play for other teams (exercising the right to hold on), he said honestly.
It was also an inevitable choice for Doosan. Dodds Cameron (29)'s contract to replace him was still before completion, and Cave was a player who completed KBO league verification in personality and consistency to send to other teams. Even after actually shooting his former team publicly, his affection for Korea and his passion to play in the KBO league seemed to be sincere. Hilliard, who was contemplating going to Korea, also chose to challenge with his family when Cave was confident.
Hilliard has already experienced Korea's strengths. Hilliard briefly entered Korea after completing the first Australian camp on February 24 and then left for the second camp in Okinawa, Japan, on February 25. One day was enough to feel the affection of Koreans.
Hilliard said, "Even in a short period of time, I've experienced a lot of Korean people being considerate of families with children. When I saw it, I felt that Korea was a safe and good environment to raise children," he said. "My first child is three years old now, and my wife is pregnant with her second child. My wife really likes to travel and thinks positively about her experience in a new place, so all of my family is looking forward to living in Korea."
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*This content was translated by AI.
