Ex-MLB pitcher ties winning streak record in Korean league with smarts, guile

Former major league pitcher Hector Noesi has been the most dominant starter in South Korea so far this year -- not simply because he has overpowered hitters but because he has relied on his considerable smarts and guile.As the first half of the 2017 Korea Baseball Organization season nears its end, Noesi, right-handed ace for the Kia Tigers, leads all hurlers with a perfect 14-0 record. He won his 14th game Tuesday against the NC Dinos to tie the KBO record for most consecutive wins by a starter

BaseballJuly 12, 2017

Diagnosing Kim Hyun-soo’s 2017 struggles

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Kim Hyun-soo singles in the fourth inning of a game against the Chicago White Sox on June 14, 2017. (Yonhap)For a second consecutive season, Baltimore Orioles left fielder Kim Hyun-soo has found himself fighting to hold down his starting spot. But compared to last season, stating his case in 2017 has proven to be a struggle, as his offensive production has unexpectedly deteriorated.Last season, Kim’s spring training struggles lost him the confidence of manager Buck S

BaseballJuly 11, 2017

Bayer Leverkusen's Korean attacker returns home

Bayer Leverkusen attacker Ryu Seung-woo will return to his old South Korean club Jeju United after playing nearly four years overseas, officials here said Tuesday.Jeju said they've acquired Ryu from Leverkusen, but didn't disclose the terms of the contract. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder first joined Jeju in November 2013 but was loaned out to Leverkusen one month later before even playing in the top-flight K League Classic.In this file photo taken on Aug. 9, 2016, South Korean footballer

SoccerJuly 11, 2017

Korean football club Ulsan Hyundai sign ex-Swiss U-19 forward Subotic

South Korean football club Ulsan Hyundai said Tuesday they've acquired former Swiss under-19 forward Danijel Subotic.The K League Classic club said Subotic, who has dual Swiss and Bosnian nationality, will play for them for the remainder of the 2017 season, although they didn't disclose the details of the contract.A product of the FC Basel youth team, Subotic began his pro career with the English club Portsmouth FC in 2008 but was soon loaned to the Belgian side Zulte Waregem. He then had stints

SoccerJuly 11, 2017

Korea aim to draw more than 60,000 fans in World Cup qualifier vs. Iran

South Korea aim to draw more than 60,000 fans to a stadium in Seoul when they host Iran in a World Cup qualifier next month, the national football governing body said Tuesday.South Korea will face Iran at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Aug. 31 for their 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier. In the final Asian qualifying round, the Taeguk Warriors are barely holding on to the final automatic qualification spot with 13 points, sitting just one point up on Uzbekistan in second place in Group A. With two match

SoccerJuly 11, 2017

Tickets for 1st PGA Tour event in Korea go on sale

Tickets for the first PGA Tour event to be played in South Korea went on sale Tuesday.Organizers of the CJ Cup@Nine Bridges said they've also opened the official website of the tournament at www.thecjcup.com. Tickets can be purchased online at CJ Mall (www.cjmall.com), with some early-bird discounts available.The tournament will be played from Oct. 19-22 at the Club at Nine Bridges on Jeju Island.The field will feature 78 players, with the top 60 players coming from the FedEx Cup points standing

GolfJuly 11, 2017

Young guns shine in first half of KBO season

Hot-shot young guns have emerged as unlikely stars in the first half of the Korea Baseball Organization season, with the All-Star break just around the corner.At the plate, few rookies have been as impressive as Nexen Heroes' Lee Jung-hoo, who won't even turn 19 until August.Before the season, Lee's biggest claim to fame was being the son of retired KBO legend Lee Jong-beom, former league MVP and Rookie of the Year.The junior Lee is batting .331 to lead all first-year players through Sunday's ga

BaseballJuly 11, 2017

Korean Kim Sei-young returns to top 10 in women's golf rankings

On the strength of a strong finish at the latest LPGA tournament, South Korean Kim Sei-young returned to the top 10 in the women's golf rankings Tuesday.Kim moved up a spot to No. 10 in the latest rankings, joining four other South Koreans inside the top 10. Kim traded places with South Korean rookie Park Sung-hyun, who fell to No. 11.Kim previously dropped out of the top 10 on June 26, when she slipped from No. 10 to No. 11.In this Associated Press file photo taken on June 30, 2017, Kim Sei-you

GolfJuly 11, 2017

Brewers’ Thames a ‘Korean’ baseball success story

Eric Thames has been a surprise. Slashing .248/.374/.562, and tied for fourth in the National League with 23 home runs, he is a big reason the Milwaukee Brewers enter the All-Star break in first place, having far exceeded their pre-season expectations.Brewers fans aside, perhaps the keenest observers of Thames’ unexpected success have been fans and players in the Korean Baseball Organization. Thames, who played for the KBO’s NC Dinos from 2014-2016, averaging a .349/.451/.721 line with 41 home r

BaseballJuly 10, 2017

Newly promoted club shows solid performance as football league reaches halfway point

Newly promoted club Gangwon FC showed a solid first half performance in South Korea's top-tier football league as the 2017 season reached its halfway mark.Ten of the 12 clubs in the K League Classic have played 19 matches so far, with only Jeju United and Gwangju FC completing 18. The first division operates a split system in which the 12 teams will be divided into two echelons after their first 33 matches and then play five more matches within their group.Gangwon finished the first half of the

SoccerJuly 10, 2017

Baseball pitcher charged with DUI

A South Korean professional baseball pitcher was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol on Monday.Songpa Police Station in Seoul said Yoon Ji-woong, left-hander for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization, was booked without physical detention after failing his breathalyzer test following a fender bender near his apartment in the capital city.Police said Yoon's blood alcohol content level was 0.151 percent, enough to warrant the revocation of his license. The legal limit is

BaseballJuly 10, 2017

Korean football club Ulsan Hyundai sign Japanese attacker

South Korean football club Ulsan Hyundai said Monday they've acquired Japanese forward Takuma Abe from FC Tokyo.The K League Classic club said Abe will fill the "Asian quota" for its squad, although terms of his contract weren't revealed. In the K League, teams are allowed to have three foreigners, in addition to one player from an Asian Football Confederation member country.Abe, 29, made his pro debut in 2011 with Tokyo Verdy before moving to the second-tier German club VfR Aalen a year later.

SoccerJuly 10, 2017

Few bright spots for Koreans in first half of MLB

The 2017 Major League Baseball season began with four South Korean players on active rosters; the first half has come to an end with six in big league uniforms, with few bright spots up and down the list.As the 30 big league teams closed out the first half Sunday (local time), St. Louis Cardinals closer Oh Seung-hwan has put up perhaps the strongest numbers among Korean players, with 18 saves and a 3.54 ERA in 38 appearances. But the right-hander, who was dominant in stretches last year while po

BaseballJuly 10, 2017

New natl. football coach hoping for early call-up for crucial World Cup qualifiers

South Korea's new national football head coach is hoping to call up his players early for crucial World Cup qualifiers as he seeks help from the domestic pro football league and its clubs.Shin Tae-yong, who took the helm of the men's senior squad last week, said Sunday that he'd be grateful if the Korea Football Association and the K League, which governs the professional competitions, allow him to summon national team players earlier than scheduled.In the final Asian qualifying round for the 20

SoccerJuly 10, 2017

Tottenham's Son Heung-min named honorary ambassador for hometown province

CHUNCHEON -- Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean forward Son Heung-min on Friday was named honorary ambassador for his hometown province that will host the Winter Olympics next year.Gangwon Provincial Government said Son will help its efforts to raise awareness of the region and promote the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games after appointing the footballer as its honorary ambassador. Son, who turns 25 on Saturday, is a native of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, some 80 kilometers east of Seoul.In this photo

SoccerJuly 7, 2017

Korean football club Gangwon FC sign French striker

South Korean football club Gangwon FC said Friday they've acquired French forward Jonathan Nanizayamo.The K League Classic outfit announced they signed a contract with Nanizayamo, who will be known as Nani here. The terms of his deal weren't disclosed.  This photo provided by Gangwon FC on July 7, 2017, shows French forward Nani posing for a photo. (Yonhap)Gangwon, currently third in the 12-team league, said that the towering striker will boost their offense using his 196-centimeter height and p

SoccerJuly 7, 2017

Cardinals' Oh Seung-hwan earns 17th save of season

Oh Seung-hwan of the St. Louis Cardinals has picked up his 17th save of the 2017 season.Oh tossed a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts against the Miami Marlins to seal the Cardinals 4-3 victory at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday (local time). This was Oh's first save since June 21 when he pitched against the Philadelphia Phillies.In this photo taken by the Associated Press on June 11, 2017, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Oh Seung-hwan pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies. (Yonh

BaseballJuly 7, 2017

Longest double-digit runs scored streak in Korean baseball ends at 8

The longest double-digit runs scored streak in South Korean baseball came to an end at eight games on Thursday.The Kia Tigers beat the SK Wyverns 5-3 in a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Incheon SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, but their hot streak had to be stopped. The players of the Kia Tigers celebrate after beating the SK Wyverns 5-3 in their Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Incheon SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon on July 6, 2017. (Yonhap)The Tigers, the l

BaseballJuly 7, 2017

Now is not right time to discuss unified Korean team at PyeongChang: Korean Olympic chief

JINCHEON -- South Korea's Olympic body chief said Thursday it is too early to talk about a unified team or joint march between the two Koreas at the 2018 Winter Games because North Korea has yet to confirm its participation.Lee Kee-heung, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee acknowledged during a press meeting that sports exchanges are instrumental to the reconciliation of the two Koreas."But sports exchanges and a unified team are not things that we can do on our own," Lee told rep

More SportsJuly 6, 2017