Nexen’s Rottino makes historic catching debut

Vinny Rottino, a new offseason acquisition for the Nexen Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization, made history on Thursday in just his ninth appearance in South Korea.

He was the starting catcher against the Kia Tigers. With Andy Van Hekken on the mound, the two Americans became the first foreign battery to play in a KBO game in the league’s 32-year history.

Rottino, after playing outfield in earlier games, was also the first foreign catcher in the KBO since Angel Pena for the Hanwha Eagles on April 24, 2004.

The 34-year-old, who has caught 305 games in the minors and three in the majors, didn’t look too out of place behind the plate, as the Heroes defeated the Tigers 5-2.

Van Hekken tossed seven shutout innings with six hits and four strikeouts to improve to 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA.

Rottino did give up a couple of steals and threw the ball into the left field when trying to nab Kim Sun-bin stealing third.

Kim sprinted home, but Rottino caught left fielder Moon U-ram’s throw and tagged out the runner at home.

Batting ninth, Rottino went 2 for 3 at the plate, and You Jae-sin pinch-ran for him in the seventh. Heo Do-hwan, the usual starting catcher, got behind the plate starting in the eighth.

Starting in 2014, KBO teams can sign up to three foreign players ― the quota is four for the expansion NC Dinos ― and at least one of them must be a position player.

Over the offseason, teams went after players with some Major League Baseball experience, and players like Luke Scott of the SK Wyverns and Jorge Cantu of the Doosan Bears have arrived with more than 100 big league homers. (Yonhap)