Andres Kim's name in a lot of ways says it all. No wonder that the one-time Pasadena City College baseball All-American was born in South America, raised as a proud Korean-American in Los Angeles, earned a scholarship to a NCAA Division I university in South Carolina out of PCC, and ended up playing for Team Argentina at this month's World Baseball Classic.
As ecletic as Kim's cultural background, it's his baseball-playing ability that has been a constant in his travels in the sport.
"As a first generation Korean-American baseball player, I would say my biggest obstacle was not knowing what the path to success looked like," Kim said. "I had a goal of playing D1, but had no one around me who had paved the same path before. I believe what makes my baseball odyssey unique is how much I willed my way to get to where I wanted to go."
Kim, now 25, played baseball as an All-Mission League infielder at St. Francis High, which he originally parlayed into a scholarship to attend UC San Diego in 2016. Getting just four at bats his freshman season and hitting a crossroads as a student-athlete, Kim wasn't sure what to do next. In stepped PCC baseball head coach Pat McGee.
"My time as a Lancer came at an incredibly important period in my life where I actually had stepped away from the game of baseball," Kim said. "Lost and in need of direction, Coach McGee and members of the 2017 team influenced me back into a competitive, detail-oriented, driven young man. Having the opportunity to test my limits in a supportive, educational environment on a daily basis, created and laid the foundation for the type of baseball and approach to life I have to this day."
Kim transferred to PCC and along with the rest of the 2017 Lancers set some hard ball history. As the team's leadoff hitter, Kim would help the baseball program win a conference title for the first time in 45 years as the sophomore second baseman and teammate first baseman Jeremy Conant became the first PCC players ever named All-American. Kim was a CCCBCA All-State First Team selection, All-SoCal Region First Team and All-South Coast Conference First Team as well.
He batted .335 with 11 doubles, two home runs, 26 RBI, a team-leading eight stolen bases and a set a new PCC school record for runs scored in a season with 43 (since broken). He played in all 41 of the team's games and reached base on 52 hits, 20 walks and 13 hit-by-pitches for a .440 on-base percentage. He also led the Lancers in both sacrifice bunts with seven and sacrifice flies with five.
Kim aided an underated PCC squad to shock Riverside City College, the state's #10-ranked team, in the first round of the regional playoffs, sweeping the Tigers in a best 2-of-3 series.
"The biggest high during my PCC tenure was beating Riverside after being written off by others. And the biggest low was having to take 7 a.m. classes Monday through Friday my entire semester during the season. You win some and lose some," he joked.
"Andres played a foundational role in building our program," McGee said of Kim. "His character and abilities on and off the field were instrumental in changing the perception of Pasadena City College baseball and what we could provide for student-athletes in need of opportunity."
Kim went on to play at D1 University of South Carolina Upstate (in Spartanburg), starting for two seasons there. As a senior, he batted .321, 11th best in the Big South Conference, and knocked in 25 RBI. He completed a bachelor's degree in business administration and management.
Kim went into the work world in sales and marketing and thought his career in baseball was at a close. But things happened quickly several months ago to change that.
"It's quite a crazy story," Kim said about making it the World Baseball Classic.
Kim said that the pitching coach Marce Alfonsin for Team Argentina connected with him, finding out that Andres was born in Buenos Aires, allowing him dual citizenship, and that he had played D1 baseball.
"From there, I had a call with the head coach and discussed that I had not played baseball in three years, but if he needed an infielder, I was positive that I could get myself ready for the opportunity to play. I proceeded to train relentlessly for three days, this was all the time I had to prepare, before driving out to Scottsdale, Arizona for a workout. After the workout, I learned that I had made the 50-man roster. I then had two months to train with the potential to make the final cut of 28 one week before the games. Two-and-a half months later, I had the pleasure of proudly being able to officially say I was part of the 28 guys who played for Team Argentina in the WBC for the first time in the country's history."
On Sept. 30, Kim singled in his first at-bat as Argentina defeated Pakistan, 7-4, in the World Classic Qualifier in Panama City, Panama. As Argentina's third baseman, Kim would hit .250 and play in four games at the Classic that concluded just a few weeks ago.
"Simply put, it was a huge honor," Kim said about playing at the WBC. "Representing an entire country through the sport that I love, created powerful bonds of brotherhood and community throughout everyone involved. Personally, it was truly a full-circle moment where all of the blood, sweat, and tears from years of training manifested into an amazing opportunity right in front of my eyes."
An accomplished athlete who reached a black belt in taekwondo, Kim feels he owes a lot to his experience at Pasadena City College and to Coach McGee.
"No amount of words can sum up the gratitude I have for this program and the coach who has changed my life for the better. I look forward to seeing others come out of this program and witnessing their successes."
Andres Kim playing for the 2017 South Coast Conference champion Lancers
