Rays' Choi Ji-man strikes out 3 times in return from injury

The Tampa Bay Rays' South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man is back from injury, though not in any fashion that he would have liked. Choi struck out three times while going 0-for-4 at the plate against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on Sunday (local time). The Rays lost the game 2-1 in 10 innings. This was Choi's first game since April 26. The Rays placed Choi on the 10-day injured list (IL) on May 1 due to loose bodies in his right elbow, and the move was retroactive to April 2

BaseballMay 9, 2022

Tottenham's Son Heung-min scores Premier League career-high 20th goal

Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean star Son Heung-min has reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time in a Premier League season. Son scored the milestone goal in a 1-1 draw against league-leading Liverpool at Anfield in Liverpool, England, on Saturday (local time). With 20 goals in Premier League play, Son is now two back of Liverpool sensation Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot race. No Asian player has won a scoring title in the top English competition. Tottenham and Liverpool will each play t

SoccerMay 8, 2022

K League-leading Ulsan looking to pick up pieces as season resumes

Despite being at the top of the tables, Ulsan Hyundai FC will return to K League action this week licking their wounds. The K League 1 campaign will resume for all 12 teams on Thursday, the Children's Day holiday, after nearly a monthlong spring break. The league pressed pause while Ulsan and two other clubs, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Daegu FC, played in the group stage of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League. Jeonbuk and Daegu qualified for the round of 16, but Ulsan, t

SoccerMay 4, 2022

Veteran KBO catcher takes pride in speed

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of baseball catchers? It could be a lot of things, but speed is probably not one of them. But Yoo Kang-nam, a veteran backstop for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), claims he is that rare breed of catchers who can run. He doesn't want you to get fooled by his almost nonexistent stolen base total -- just seven in 917 career games in a career that began in 2011. Yoo will gladly submit his baserunning heroics from Tu

BaseballMay 4, 2022

As only active S. Korean big leaguer, Padres' Kim Ha-seong showing life at plate

Four South Korean players were on Opening Day rosters for their respective clubs in April. But with the first month of the 2022 Major League Baseball (MLB) season in the books, only one of them is active in the bigs at the moment: Kim Ha-seong, the second-year infielder for the San Diego Padres. Toronto Blue Jays' starter Ryu Hyun-jin (left forearm) and Tampa Bay Rays' first baseman Choi Ji-man (right elbow) are both on the 10-day injured list (IL). Park Hoy-jun, utility player for the Pittsburg

BaseballMay 3, 2022

K League to play with official World Cup ball starting this week

The operator of the South Korean professional football competition announced Monday the official FIFA World Cup ball will be put in play starting this week.    The Korea Professional Football League (K League) said "Al Rihla," the match ball for this year's World Cup in Qatar, will be featured here, beginning with matches on Thursday. It is also the Children's Day holiday.    Following a spring break during the group stage for the Asian Football Confederation (AF

SoccerMay 2, 2022

Rays' Choi Ji-man lands on injured list with elbow issues

Tampa Bay Rays' South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man has landed on the 10-day injured list (IL) with right elbow problems, with his red-hot start to the 2022 campaign coming to a screeching halt. The Rays made the move prior to their series finale against the Minnesota Twins at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday (local time). It is retroactive to Thursday. Choi had sat out for four straight days, but manager Kevin Cash told MLB.com that Choi was "trending in the right d

BaseballMay 2, 2022

2 out of 4 K League clubs reach AFC Champions League knockouts

And then there were two. Two out of four South Korean teams have reached the knockout stage of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, the top annual club tournament in the region. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Daegu FC are in, while Ulsan Hyundai FC and Jeonnam Dragons have been sent packing. Jeonbuk became the first to do so by beating Sydney FC 3-2 last Thursday in their penultimate Group H match in Ho Chi Minh City. They closed out the preliminary phase with a 1-1 draw against

SoccerMay 2, 2022

Tottenham's Son Heung-min nets milestone goals in key victory

Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min has scored his way into South Korean football record books. Son grabbed a brace in Tottenham's 3-1 victory over Leicester City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday (local time). Son now has a career-high 19 goals for this Premier League season, and he also owns the record for most goals by a South Korean player in a season in a European league. Former Leverkusen hero Cha Bum-kun had held the mark with 17 goals from the 1985-1986 season. In all compet

SoccerMay 2, 2022

With one team in, 3 more from S. Korea trying to reach AFC Champions League knockouts

With one match remaining in the group stage, only one of the four South Korean teams in action has locked down a spot in the knockout phase of the top Asian club football competition. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Ulsan Hyundai FC, and Daegu FC of the K League 1 and Jeonnam Dragons of the K League 2 are playing in this year's Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League. Through Thursday, they have all played five out of six group matches in centralized venues -- an arrangement put in place to

SoccerApril 29, 2022

Padres' Kim Ha-seong sets career high with 3-hit game

San Diego Padres' South Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong has established his major league career high with a three-hit performance. Kim went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, helping the Padres beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-5 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Thursday (local time). Those three RBIs tied Kim's career best, first set last year during his rookie campaign. Kim is now batting .250/.362/.500 in 14 games this season with two home runs and eight RBIs. Batting ninth and playing third base, K

BaseballApril 29, 2022

Suspended veterans swinging hot bats in minors ahead of KBO return

Three of the four suspended players for the NC Dinos have been putting up strong numbers against minor league pitching in recent days, with their reinstatement for the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) less than a week away. Last July, infielders Park Sok-min and Park Min-woo, along with outfielders Kwon Hui-dong and Lee Myung-ki, were slapped with 72-game ban by the league for violating COVID-19 health and safety protocols. With the four-person limit on private gatherings still in effect in Seo

BaseballApril 28, 2022

S. Korean player Lee Hyun-jung declares for NBA draft

South Korean basketball player Lee Hyun-jung declared for the rookie draft in the National Basketball Association (NBA) on Wednesday, saying he is "excited" about the opportunity to pursue his dream of competing in the top league. Lee, a junior wing for Davidson College Wildcats, made the announcement on his Instagram page. He will try to become only the second South Korean to play in the NBA, after the former Portland Trail Blazers center Ha Seung-jin. "After putting some serious

More SportsApril 27, 2022

KBO outfielder thrives with newfound confidence

Confidence can be fleeting for athletes, but once they grab hold of it, it can do some wonderful things. Just ask Kim In-tae, the Doosan Bears outfielder who is finally blossoming into the dangerous hitter that many felt he would become after he was drafted fourth overall a decade ago. Finally playing on a regular basis at age 27, Kim is making the most of that opportunity. After a career-best three-hit game Tuesday against the NC Dinos, Kim is batting .338 with 26 hits, ranking eighth and sixth

BaseballApril 27, 2022

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin set for live BP in move toward return from injury

The Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin will throw a live batting practice in the coming days, as he inches closer to a return from a left forearm injury. Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told reporters in Toronto on Monday (local time) that the club will see how the left-hander feels before determining if he will need another live session or a rehab start. Ryu will rejoin the rotation as soon as he is activated, Atkins added. Ryu landed on the 10-day injured list (IL) on A

BaseballApril 26, 2022

KT Wiz lose slugger Henry Ramos to broken toe

The defending South Korean baseball champions KT Wiz have lost their second slugger to a toe injury this season, with the first-year import Henry Ramos getting his right pinky toe broken by a pitch over the weekend. The Wiz said Sunday evening the injury will take four to six weeks just to heal, and Ramos will likely need more time to get back into game shape. In Saturday's game against the NC Dinos, Ramos took a pitch by starter Song Myung-gi to his right foot in the bottom of the first inning.

BaseballApril 25, 2022

Reigning KBO MVP demoted to minors following shaky outings

Over the course of a Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, teams send players down to the minors all the time, either to have them rehab injuries or to help them get their acts together. Even established names can't avoid that fate if they get into a protracted slump. But rare is an MVP-winning player who is unceremoniously demoted to the Futures League, the KBO's little brother, in the opening weeks of a season. Ariel Miranda, the left-handed starter for the Doosan Bears who was voted the l

BaseballApril 25, 2022

KBO attendance spikes on 1st weekend with cheering allowed

Attendance in the South Korean baseball league spiked over the weekend, with vocal cheering permitted for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning with Friday's games, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) allowed fans to sing and chant, just like in pre-pandemic times, in line with eased social distancing rules nationwide. Fans still have to keep their masks on while cheering, and they are banned from engaging in cheering activities while eating or drinking at the same time. The l

BaseballApril 25, 2022

Former KSU chief seeks ISU presidency

The Korea Skating Union said Friday it has nominated Kim Jae-youl, president of Samsung Global Research, an in-house think tank, and formerly KSU president, as a presidential candidate for the International Skating Union. The KSU said Kim, equipped with vast experience in sports administration, has made significant contributions to the growth of the nation’s skating sports. “While serving as president (2011-2016), Kim played a pivotal role in the nation’s hosting of nine maj

Olympic GamesApril 22, 2022

Padres' Kim Ha-seong hits 1st home run of season

San Diego Padres' South Korean infielder Kim Ha-seong has gone deep for the first time this season. Kim smacked a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the bottom of the seventh inning at Petco Park in San Diego on Wednesday (local time). With the Padres up 3-0, Kim, who started at third base and batted ninth, stepped into the box against Buck Farmer with one out and nobody on. Kim wasted no time as he jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Farmer, clocked at 93.5 mph, and sent it over the

BaseballApril 21, 2022