New slugger thriving at KBO's biggest ballpark

For the 2009 and 2010 seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the LG Twins were so desperate for home runs that they installed a temporary, drawn-in fence for their home games at the cavernous Jamsil Stadium. The Seoul ballpark, shared by the Twins and the Doosan Bears, is the largest stadium in the league: it is 125 meters from home plate to center field, and 100 meters down the line to both left and right. The Twins set up the fence 4 meters closer to home plate at the center. It w

BaseballMay 26, 2020

KBO bans ex-major leaguer Kang Jung-ho for 1 year before potential return

Former major league infielder Kang Jung-ho, seeking a return to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) under the cloud of multiple drunk driving cases, received a one-year suspension from the South Korean league on Monday. During its disciplinary committee meeting, the KBO also ordered Kang to do 300 hours of community service. The lighter-than-expected penalties will keep the door open for Kang, 33, to return to the league where he began his professional career in 2006.   Kang filed for r

BaseballMay 25, 2020

Cuban hitting machine humming along in KBO

There are few things as consistent in South Korean baseball in 2020 as this: Jose Miguel Fernandez getting a base hit, or two, for the Doosan Bears. As we move slowly out of the "small sample size" territory, Fernandez, the Cuban hitting machine, is batting a robust .500 (36-for-72) after 17 games in this Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season. He had 13 hits in 24 at-bats last week, which included his third four-hit game of the season Saturday against the Samsung Lions. No other

BaseballMay 25, 2020

LPGA stars split winnings in charity skins game

South Korean LPGA stars Ko Jin-young and Park Sung-hyun split the prize money in their charity skins game Sunday. World No. 1 Ko and the third-ranked Park each claimed 50 million won ($40,300) in the skins game organized by Hyundai Card at Sky 72 Golf & Resort in Incheon, just west of Seoul. The winnings will be donated to charities of the players' choices. Ko made a lengthy birdie putt at the 18th hole to win 10 million won at stake there and pull even with Park. Before the match, the tw

GolfMay 24, 2020

KBO to meet Monday to determine fate of troubled ex-MLB player eyeing return

The South Korean baseball league will open disciplinary proceedings on Monday to determine the fate of a former major leaguer seeking a return to Seoul despite his checkered past. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Friday that it will hold a disciplinary committee meeting to discuss a possible penalty for Kang Jung-ho, a one-time Pittsburgh Pirate who has applied for a return to the South Korean league. Because of his three drunk driving cases in the past, mostly recently in 2016

BaseballMay 22, 2020

S. Korean baseball games to be available in 130 countries

International exposure will grow even more now for South Korean baseball. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Friday that, in addition to the United States and Japan, its games will be broadcast in 130 countries, including Canada, Mexico and the Netherlands. The rest of Europe, parts of Asia, the Middle East and Africa will also have access to live KBO games via ESPN networks and affiliates in these countries, the league office here said. ESPN is the KBO's US broadcaster partner

BaseballMay 22, 2020

LPGA stars to duel in charity skins game on Sunday

As names go in women's golf, it doesn't get much bigger than these two for South Korean fans: world No. 1 Ko Jin-young and No. 3 Park Sung-hyun. Ko and Park are scheduled to duel in a charity skins game on Sunday, giving local fans more to cheer about after they celebrated the return of the sport last week. Ko and Park will meet in the Hyundai Card Super Match at 2 p.m. Sunday at Sky 72 Golf & Resort, adjacent to Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul. Ko and Park, who have co

GolfMay 22, 2020

S. Korean volleyball icon Kim Yeon-koung leaves Turkish club

South Korean volleyball superstar Kim Yeon-koung has left her Turkish club after two seasons, with her second tour of duty in China potentially up next. The Turkish team Eczacibasi VitrA announced on its website on Friday that Kim and the club have "parted ways by mutual agreement." Kim, who captained Eczacibasi during the 2019-2020 season, helped the team to two Turkish Super Cup titles, a silver and a bronze medal at the past two FIVB Club World Championships. Kim signed with Ecz

More SportsMay 22, 2020

[Newsmaker] Korean football club get record fine over sex dolls in stands

South Korea's FC Seoul were fined a record 100 million won ($81,000) for using sex dolls to fill seats at a match held behind closed doors, with K-League officials saying the football club had "deeply humiliated women fans". With spectators barred because of the coronavirus, FC Seoul came under fire after dozens of dolls wearing T-shirts or holding placards with the logo of a sex-toy seller appeared at Sunday's game. The incident made headlines around the world. After reviewing th

SoccerMay 21, 2020

Versatile bullpen lone bright spot for downtrodden KBO club

DAEGU -- After missing the South Korean baseball postseason in each of the past four years, the Samsung Lions are not expected to contend for a playoff spot this year, either. But at least they can look toward their bullpen and see seeds of hope. There are obvious reasons for the Lions' 4-9 start to the 2020 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season. Currently in ninth place among 10 teams, the Lions have the worst starting pitching ERA with 6.75 and have the second-lowest on-base plus sluggin

BaseballMay 20, 2020

Fresh off season's 1st win, K League midfielder vows even more offense

Sangju Sangmu midfielder Moon Seon-min isn't one to mess around or try to get cute: When he is on the field for his K League 1 club, Moon is all about scoring goals, or helping his teammates get on the board. Following Sangju's 2-0 win over Gangwon FC on the weekend, Moon said Wednesday that offense will remain the modus operandi for the military club this year. "We didn't have proper preparation before the season, but against Gangwon FC, we played to our strength," Moon said in a r

SoccerMay 20, 2020

KBO monitoring school situation while mulling fans' return

The South Korean baseball league said Wednesday it will keep an eye on the gradual reopening of schools as it hopes to start putting fans back in the stands during the pandemic as early as next month. Ryu Dae-hwan, secretary general of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), said the league is in "close coordination" with the sports ministry and public health officials" to determine when fans will be allowed to attend games again. The 2020 regular season began on May 5, after a

BaseballMay 20, 2020

KBO's Wyverns suffer 10th straight loss behind shoddy defense, shaky bullpen

The SK Wyverns are on the verge of tying a franchise record that they'd rather not match: the longest losing streak of 11 games. The Wyverns dropped their 10th straight game Tuesday night against the Kiwoom Heroes, falling 11-6 after giving up six runs in the bottom of the first at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. They dropped to 1-11 for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, last place among 10 teams. It's hard to believe that this is the mostly same club that finished last year's regular

BaseballMay 20, 2020

Despite injuries, KBO's Eagles staying afloat behind unexpectedly strong pitching

They weren't supposed to be this good. By several measures, the Hanwha Eagles have been among the best pitching teams in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) this season. They own the second-lowest ERA with 3.31 and second-lowest walks and hits per nine innings (WHIP) with 1.24. Their starting pitchers have collectively the best ERA in the league at 2.23. In terms of opponents' on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), the Eagles have been the stingiest with .674. And no team has served up few

BaseballMay 19, 2020

Int'l Olympic meeting in Seoul postponed due to coronavirus pandemic

A meeting of national Olympic organizations set to take place in Seoul this fall has been postponed to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) jointly announced on Tuesday that the 2020 ANOC General Assembly, scheduled to be held Nov. 25-26 this year in Seoul, will instead take place in 2021. "ANOC and KSOC mutually agreed that given the current global pandemic and wide-spread res

More SportsMay 19, 2020

NC Dinos roar to 1st place in KBO behind hitting machine, breakout starter

In the young Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, NC Dinos' leadoff man Park Min-woo is elevating the term "hitting machine" to a whole new level. In one of the most remarkable stats so far in 2020, Park has swung and missed on just one pitch in the strike zone. Park has been to the plate 48 times in 11 games through Sunday, and has seen 120 strikes. And he has fanned on exactly one of those 120 pitches, or 0.8 percent of the time. Park has put 43 of those strikes in play, foul

BaseballMay 19, 2020

Amid early home run surge, numbers show KBO batters are hitting ball harder

With two weeks in the books for the 2020 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, home run numbers are up from a year ago. And small sample size notwithstanding, there is statistical evidence that can explain the increase in homers and that can also put to rest, at least for now, the "great ball controversy." To curb excessive offensive explosion and ensure more balance between hitting and pitching, the KBO de-juiced the ball for 2019. The league's 10 teams combined for 1,014 home r

BaseballMay 18, 2020

After 1st career callup, rookie outfielder wants to stick around

The longest three minutes of outfielder Byeon Sang-kwon's career came Sunday, in the seventh inning of his first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) game for the Kiwoom Heroes. Pinch hitting for center fielder Park Jun-tae in the No. 9 spot, Byeon drove a 1-0 pitch from Choi Dong-hwan down the right field line. It was initially ruled a foul, but the Heroes challenged the call. After three minutes of video review, the call was overturned. Byeon was awarded his first KBO hit, a double. Byeon then

BaseballMay 18, 2020

Kiwoom Heroes beat LG Twins to snap 4-game losing streak

The Kiwoom Heroes defeated the LG Twins 9-4 to halt their four-game losing skid in the young Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season on Sunday. The top two hitters in the Heroes' lineup, Seo Geon-chang and Kim Ha-seong, combined to go 6-for-10 with six RBIs and three runs scored for the Heroes, who pounded out three solo home runs among 17 hits at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul to end their losing streak at four games. Kiwoom starter Eric Jokisch tossed six scoreless innings for his second win of t

BaseballMay 17, 2020

Sophomore player wins 1st golf tournament held during pandemic in S. Korea

YANGJU -- Second-year domestic tour pro Park Hyun-kyung has won the first golf tournament held in South Korea during the coronavirus pandemic. Park captured the 42nd Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Championship in Yangju, just north of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province, on Sunday, at 17-under 271. By carding a 67 on Sunday at Lakewood Country Club, Park held off Bae Seon-woo and Lim Hee-jeong by one stroke for her first KLPGA victory and also her first KLPGA major championship. Pa

GolfMay 17, 2020