"The best baseball game of my life": KIA-Samsung fall baseball captivates even a 27-home run slugger from the U.S. independent league: "My strength is power hitting... I want to play in the KBO"

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A slugger who hit 27 home runs and drove in 115 runs in a single season in the U.S. independent league revealed his strong desire to enter Korean professional baseball.

Cuba's Bess (29) of the U.S. independent league United team Long Beach Coast met with StarNews at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium on the 30th and, when asked about his intention to join the KBO League, stated, "Of course. I am definitely interested in playing in the KBO League. I am also considering playing in other leagues overseas, not just in Korea."

Bess is a left-handed slugger who recorded a .317 batting average (115 hits in 363 at-bats), 27 home runs, 115 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.991 in 89 games this year in the U.S. independent Pioneer League. Both his home run and RBI totals were among the highest within the Long Beach team.

He is also performing as a key hitter for the U.S. United team participating in the Ulsan-KBO Fall League, which entered its third year of operation after being held for the first time this year. In this fall league, he is leading in home runs and RBIs with a .324 batting average (12 hits in 37 at-bats), 5 home runs, 15 RBIs, a .366 on-base percentage, and an .838 slugging percentage in 9 games, contributing to Long Beach's undefeated run of 8 wins and 2 draws in the preliminary round.

On this day, he also started as the No. 4 hitter and designated hitter in the semifinal against the LG Twins, recording one hit in three at-bats to contribute to Long Beach's 4-2 victory. Long Beach secured a 4-2 win with a walk-off two-run home run by Benjamin Rosengard (27) in the bottom of the ninth inning, advancing to the finals with an undefeated record of 11 games (9 wins, 2 draws).

Bess reflected, "This tournament has been a truly wonderful and enjoyable experience. It was good that I could face not only talented players from KBO Futures League teams but also players from Australia and Japan." He added, "When it came to home runs, I tried to make a good swing when a good pitch came in. I focused on hitting the ball as hard as possible."

The visit to Korea became an opportunity for him to discover new possibilities in his playing career. Bess stated, "I am one of the older players on the team. Relatively, I do not have many opportunities available to me." He emphasized, "I think I have experienced about as much as I can in the U.S. independent league. My biggest goal right now is to sign with an overseas team."

His self-introduction to KBO League teams was also bold. Bess stated, "My greatest strength is power hitting, but I also have the hitting ability to maintain a high batting average. I am good at base running and defense as well." He expressed confidence, saying, "I am not simply a big hitter who enters the middle of the lineup and just blocks bases. I can play multiple positions and have experience accumulated through a long playing career."

Bess's dream of going to Korea aligns with the expectations of Manager Don Wakamatsu (63), who led the U.S. team to Ulsan. Wakamatsu, who was the first Asian manager in Major League Baseball history, met before the game and stated, "I knew that KBO team scouts would come to Korea. In fact, there are scouts on site actually watching the players." He added, "It would be great if even one or two of our players could sign with a KBO or Australian league team."

In particular, the passionate cheering culture of Korean professional baseball became another reason for Bess to feel attracted to joining the KBO. Bess recently watched the postseason game between the KIA Tigers and Samsung Lions in person along with the Long Beach team.

Recalling the experience at the time, he exclaimed, "It was probably the best baseball game I have ever watched in person. The atmosphere of the stadium, the fans, everything was truly amazing. It was an eye-opening experience." He added, "Even compared to U.S. Major League games, I felt a clear difference. If I could play baseball directly in that kind of atmosphere, it would be really fun."

For him, who had also played in the U.S. minor leagues, Korea's cheering culture felt even more special. Bess explained, "The largest crowd I played in front of while playing in the minor leagues was about 5,000 people. That was only possible because it was July 4, the U.S. Independence Day, and there were special events such as fireworks after the game."

He then smiled and said, "In Korean postseason games, the stands were full, and there was not a single quiet moment throughout the game. Both KIA and Samsung fans were truly passionate. Whether leading or trailing in score, regardless of any point in the game, they cheered for their team without ceasing. I could see how much Koreans love baseball."

Manager Wakamatsu had a similar reaction. He stated, "Our players probably did not know that professional baseball players are treated like rock stars in Korea until they saw it with their own eyes. The passion and interest of the fans were tremendous." He added, "The players saw that scene directly and developed a desire to play in Korea."

Long Beach, which Bess belongs to, will challenge for its first championship in a tournament it is participating in for the first time at the 2026 Ulsan-KBO Fall League final held at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium at 2 p.m. on the 31st.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original