David Kim started playing baseball at Sandringham in Melbourne’s south-east – as a fourteen year-old - and he went on to play in junior Victorian teams and also in the inaugural Australian Baseball League.

 

From there David decided to try his hand overseas - but not in the United States like everyone else. He purchased a one way ticket to Seoul and organised a tryout with one of the Korean Baseball Organisation (KBO) teams.

 

Although coming from Korean heritage, David had never been to South Korea before and did not speak a word of Korean. It was a bold move but paid off when he made the roster of the LG Twins (KBO) and he went on to have a seven-year career in the Korean professional league.

 

David Kim was the first Australian to break into this league.

 

After he finished his playing career, he moved into scouting with the Minnesota Twins and he continues to scout the Pacific Rim for the Twins today. David is fluent in both English and Korean and he lives permanently in Seoul with his Korean wife and two children.

 

David is a big help to any Australian teams that tour through South Korea, providing guidance and advance scouting reports, while he helps other Australian scouts and those Australian players who have since played in the KBO. He continues to give back to Australian baseball and he recently spent six weeks working with the Sandringham juniors whilst he was on holiday back in Melbourne to visit his parents.

 

Another pioneer of our sport, we wish David every success in all of his future endeavours.