Baseball manager with brain tumor discharged from hospital

South Korean baseball club NC Dinos said Thursday their manager Kim Kyung-moon, recently diagnosed with a benign brain tumor, has been discharged from hospital.The Korea Baseball Organization club said Kim will be resting at his home and will remain sidelined indefinitely.Kim, 58, left last Friday's game against the KT Wiz in Suwon, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul, with dizziness and symptoms of acute indigestion. He was admitted to a hospital in Bundang, near Suwon. The Dinos then announced T

BaseballAug. 3, 2017

From scrub to standout: Understanding the new Roger Bernadina

A lot of things have clicked for the Kia Tigers this season, chief among them being their offense’s record production. Kia’s fearsome lineup features three of the Korean Baseball Organization’s top 10 hitters by batting average, and five of the top 20 hitters by adjusted weighted runs created, and is a driving force behind the team’s domination of the standings, currently sitting in a comfortable first place at 63-34, five games up on the second-place NC Dinos.A major force behind the dominance

BaseballAug. 3, 2017

Outfielder stays hot in August, nears 20-20 season

In the dog days of summer, NC Dinos outfielder Na Sung-bum has been the hottest hitter in South Korean baseball.Na leads the Korea Baseball Organization with a .378 batting average. He was batting a still-robust .347 through May. He missed a few weeks of action with a wrist injury but came back to hit .500 (13-for-26) in eight games in June.Then Na really took off in July, batting .383 for the month to raise his season average to .370. He has gone 6-for-9 in two games so far this month to get pa

BaseballAug. 3, 2017

Natl. football coach closes in on completing roster for World Cup qualifiers

New South Korea football coach Shin Tae-yong said Wednesday that roster for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers is about 70 to 80 percent complete, and he may select up to 26 players to prepare for the crucial matches.Shin, who took over the men's senior squad last month, will announce his first national team roster on Aug. 14 for the World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Uzbekistan. He will start training with the players one week later."My roster is about 70 to 80 percent complete," Shin told re

SoccerAug. 3, 2017

K.J. Choi's teenage son hoping to best father's career

Choi Kang-jun, the 13-year-old son of PGA Tour veteran Choi Kyoung-ju, has only been playing golf for about four years.But he's already set his sights on a lofty goal: to win more PGA titles than his father, better known as K.J. Choi."I'd like to become a PGA Tour player by age 20," said Choi, after finishing his second round at the Korea National Junior Championship at Lake Hills Yongin Country Club in Yongin, some 50 kilometers south of Seoul. "My father has won eight times on the PGA Tour, an

GolfAug. 3, 2017

Choo’s 3 hits, Gallo’s 2 homers can’t save Rangers from dropping fourth straight

Choo Shin-soo collected 3 hits and Joey Gallo homered twice, but the Texas Rangers still fell to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night. The loss was the Rangers’ fourth straight. Texas Rangers leadoff hitter Choo Shin-soo batting in a game on August 1, 2017. (Yonhap)Choo batted in his customary leadoff spot, but was given the day off from playing the field, slotting in at designated hitter.Choo singled in his first two at-bats in the 1st and 3rd innings, but was left stranded both times. He flew

BaseballAug. 3, 2017

Lester hits first homer, throws 2,000th K in Cubs’ blowout win

The Chicago Cubs 16-4 blowout victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks was a full team effort, as every Cubs batter contributed at least one hit to the team’s victory.But of all of the 17 hits collected by Cubs hitters during the game, perhaps the most surprising was a third inning home run hit by Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester, the first of his career.  Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jon Lester throwing a pitch on July 23, 2017. (Yonhap)Lester became notable for his hitting during the 2015 season

BaseballAug. 3, 2017

Football legend Park Ji-sung to be named honorary ambassador for PyeongChang 2018

South Korean football legend Park Ji-sung will be named an honorary ambassador for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, the event's organizers said Wednesday.PyeongChang's organizing committee said Park's appointment ceremony will take place in Seoul on Friday.Park was one of South Korea's most iconic football stars until his retirement in 2014. He served as the national team captain and represented the country at three FIFA World Cups, scoring at least a goal in each of the three tournaments. He

More SportsAug. 2, 2017

Kim Hyun-soo collects first hit in Phillies uniform

Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kim Hyun-soo hits a double in a game on August 1, 2017. (Yonhap)Kim Hyun-soo collected his first hit as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, a double, against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.Kim, who was traded from the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, was making his second start in his new uniform. He batted in the eighth spot in the lineup as the Phillies’ designated hitter. He got his first plate appearance in the second inning with one out, and

BaseballAug. 2, 2017

Vazquez‘s walk-off homer ends wild night at Fenway

Christian Vazquez’s first home run of the season was a big one, a three-run walk-off to give his Boston Red Sox a 12-10 victory over the visiting Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.In a way it seemed fitting that the light-hitting Vazquez, who is slugging a paltry .365, hit the game-winning home run off Cleveland closer Cody Allen, who is generally lights-out. The game had already been one of unexpected turns and subverted expectations, and Vazquez’s home run was the perfect nightcap. Boston Red

BaseballAug. 2, 2017

Nexen's Brigham finds his groove in KBO

After toiling for years and bouncing from league to league, Nexen Heroes starting pitcher Jake Brigham seems to have finally found his stride. Brigham has been stellar for Nexen in the second half of the Korean Baseball Organization season, and was recently named player of the week for the final week of July. Nexen Heroes starting pitcher Jake Brigham delivers a pitch in a game on July 25, 2017. (Yonhap)The 29-year-old Brigham began his professional baseball journey in 2006, when he was drafted

BaseballAug. 2, 2017

Veteran striker closes in on milestone in pro football's 2nd half

Veteran football striker Lee Dong-gook is closing in on yet another milestone as the second half of the season is about to begin.Lee, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors forward, is sitting at 196 goals for his K League Classic career. The 38-year-old is already the league's all-time scoring leader, and he is four away from 200 with 15 matches remaining. The season resumes Wednesday after an All-Star break.In the first half, Lee made 16 appearances -- five in starts and 11 off the bench -- and scored four ti

SoccerAug. 2, 2017

Promising figure skater withdraws from Asian event with foot injury

Promising South Korean figure skater Choi Da-bin has pulled out of an upcoming regional event with a foot injury, officials said Wednesday.The Korea Skating Unions said Choi, 17, informed the organizers of the Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy on Tuesday that she won't be able to participate. This year's Asian Trophy is scheduled to begin in Hong Kong later Wednesday.Choi has been struggling with a loose pair of boots since last season. She battled lingering pains to win the first round of the na

More SportsAug. 2, 2017

Song stopped short of 100, LG blanks Lotte 2-0

Lotte Giants starter Song Seung-jun allowed only 2 runs in his Tuesday night start against the LG Twins, but the 2 runs were all LG starter Kim Dae-hyun and the LG bullpen would need as they blanked the Lotte offense for a 2-0 victory.Song scattered two walks and nine hits over his five innings, striking out six. He fell to 6-3 on the year, but improved his ERA to 3.75.LG shortstop Oh Ji-hwan drove in the only runs of the game with a second inning home run and a third inning double, going 2-for-

BaseballAug. 2, 2017

Korea gears up for 2023 AFC Asian Cup bid

South Korea's football governing body on Tuesday held a meeting to discuss its bid plans for the top continental football tournament in 2023.The Korea Football Association President Chung Mong-gyu chaired the senior delegation meeting at its headquarters in Seoul with 37 members to talk about various issues, including South Korea's bid for the 2023 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup. South Korea last hosted the quadrennial competition in 1960.The AFC last month announced that South Korea, Ch

SoccerAug. 2, 2017

Scrappy Na Kyung-min finds place in power-hitting Giants lineup

The Lotte Giants have gained a reputation as a power-hitting team, and they have the bats to back it up, with names like Lee Dae-ho, Kang Min-ho, Jeon Joon-woo and Choi Jun-seok. But Lotte is not just a one-dimensional team of sluggers; they also have players, like center fielder Na Kyung-min, who are defined not by their power, but by their hustle and scrappy play.Na took a circuitous path to join the Giants. He graduated high school in 2009 and signed with the Chicago Cubs to try and make in M

BaseballAug. 1, 2017

Young swimmer determined to learn from shortcomings

INCHEON -- Despite breaking a national record and setting new standards for South Korean swimmers at the recent world championships, youngster Kim Seo-yeong said she has a lot of regrets from her performance.But the 23-year-old isn't about to dwell on past mistakes. Rather, she's determined to learn from her shortcomings. South Korean swimmer Kim Seo-yeong speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport on Aug. 1, 2017. (Yonhap)Kim and the rest of the national swimming team returned home fr

More SportsAug. 1, 2017

Rising swimming star eyes multiple Asian Games medals

INCHEON -- With each passing race, South Korean swimmer An Se-hyeon feels her dream is getting bigger and bigger.The 21-year-old enjoyed a breakout performance at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, last month. She finished fourth in the 200-meter butterfly in 2:06.67, just 0.65 second out of bronze, and fifth in the 100m butterfly in 57.07 seconds. Both times were national records, and the fourth place finish in the 200m fly was the best placement ever by a South Korean

More SportsAug. 1, 2017

Park Tae-hwan regrets not enjoying world championships

INCHEON -- Former Olympic swimming champion Park Tae-hwan failed to capture any medals at this year's world championships held last month, but that wasn't even his biggest regret.At 27, a relatively advanced age for a freestyle swimmer, Park knows he just might have raced in his last world championships. And he now wishes he would have enjoyed himself a little more.Park returned home with the rest of the national team from the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. It was Park's

More SportsAug. 1, 2017

USFK to be part of PyeongChang Games via gala

The United States said Tuesday it's bringing an unprecedented gala to Seoul to celebrate the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and show support for the organizers of the 2018 event together with American troops stationed in South Korea.The U.S. Olympic Committee is hosting the "Team USA WinterFest" event at the Yongsan base of the U.S. Forces Korea on Feb. 19 next year during the Olympics."The connection between Team USA, and the military is very, very strong," Patrick Sandusky, the committee's chief

More SportsAug. 1, 2017