The Korea Herald

Lee Seung-yeop aims to join the 500-home run club

The 500-home run milestone is close at hand for Lee Seung-yeop of Samsung Lions.The first baseman hit a homer flying high over the center right field fence against Nexen Heroes in Daegu on June 29. It was his 15th home run of the season and the 498th of his pro career, including in the Japanese league. Lee is now two short of the 500-homer mark.Earlier, he had made the 2,000th hit of his Korean and Japanese pro baseball careers combined, against Lotte Giants on May 8.His career 500 homers, even

July 3, 2012

Lee Seung-yeop aims to join the 500-home run club

Tribe sink O’s 6-2

BALTIMORE (AP) ― The Cleveland Indians came to Camden Yards mired in a five-game losing streak. Worried that his players might switch into panic mode, manager Manny Acta called a team meeting to remind them that things can change in a hurry.His words rang true. Cleveland won three of four from the Orioles, including a 6-2 victory Sunday that provided an uplifting finish to a 4-6 road trip.Justin Masterson pitched seven innings of five-hit ball, Shelley Duncan homered and hit two doubles, and Aar

July 2, 2012

Samsung’s Oh sets career saves record

Samsung Lions relief pitcher Oh Seung-hwan broke the league’s record for career saves, after finishing off the Nexen Heroes in Daegu on Sunday.The 29-year-old stepped on the mound in the top of the ninth and kept the 3-1 score over Nexen for his 16th save this season and 228th in his career. Accomplishing the feat in just 369 games, Oh outpitched the previous record-holder Kim Yong-su who reached the number in 609 games.Oh, who first started pitching in 2005, is no stranger to records. He holds

July 2, 2012

Choo powers Indians in 11-5 win

BALTIMORE (AP) ― Choo Shin-soo singled on the first pitch of the game, and the Cleveland Indians never let up in setting a season high for hits in a second straight game.This time, they got a win for their effort.Choo went 4 for 5 with a homer, scored four runs and collected three RBIs to lead the Indians past the Baltimore Orioles 11-5 Saturday.Shelley Duncan also homered for the Indians, whose 19 hits eclipsed their previous high of 16, set Friday night in a 9-8 loss at Camden Yards.Jose Lopez

July 1, 2012

Choo powers Indians in win against Orioles

Cleveland Indians` Shin-Soo Choo connects for a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning of a baseball game Saturday. (AP-Yonhap News)Choo Shin-soo singled on the first pitch of the game, and the Cleveland Indians never let up in setting a season high for hits in a second straight game.This time, they got a win for their effort.Choo went 4 for 5 with a homer, scored fou

July 1, 2012

Choo powers Indians in win against Orioles

Closer Lim Chang-yong out for season with elbow injury: agent

South Korean pitcher Lim Chang-yong of the Yakult Swallows in Japan will miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn ligament in his right elbow, his Seoul-based agent said Thursday.Park Yu-hyun, Lim's agent, said the right-hander has opted to go under the knife to repair the ligament damage."We've informed the team of the decision to undergo surgery today," Park said. "The operation will t

June 28, 2012

Rizzo leads Cubs past Mets 5-3

CHICAGO (AP) ― If the lofty expectations were weighing on Anthony Rizzo, he sure didn’t show it in his Cubs debut.Rizzo had two hits and drove in the go-ahead run in his first game with Chicago, which rallied for a 5-3 victory over the sliding New York Mets on Tuesday night.“That’s how I play the game, really relaxed,” Rizzo said. “Everybody always tells me it looks like I’m not even trying. I like hearing that a lot.”Rizzo doubled home Steve Clevenger with two out in the fourth, making it 4-3 a

June 27, 2012

Yankees trounce Tribe

NEW YORK (AP) ― Robinson Cano and Hiroki Kuroda have both rebounded from slow starts, two big reasons the New York Yankees are on such a merry roll.Cano homered and drove in three runs to extend his recent tear, Kuroda took a shutout into the eighth inning and New York beat the Cleveland Indians 7-1 on Monday night.Nick Swisher and Dewayne Wise also went deep for the homer-happy Yankees, who opened a seven-game homestand against the top two teams in the AL Central with their third consecutive vi

June 26, 2012

Pro baseball clubs urged to allow 10th team

Both former and active players as well as fans are turning up the heat on professional baseball clubs to create a 10th team, which was postponed indefinitely last Tuesday. An association of retired baseball players issued a statement on Tuesday, supporting active players’ declaration to boycott this year’s All-Star Game in protest against the indefinite delay of adding a new team.A day earlier, the Korea Professional Baseball Players’ Association held an emergency board meeting and declared its

June 26, 2012

Pro baseball clubs urged to allow 10th team

Astros nab rare series victory

HOUSTON (AP) ― Chris Johnson’s recent adjustments at the plate are paying off for the Houston Astros.Johnson homered and drove in three runs and J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer to lead the Astros to a 7-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.The victory gave Houston a series win for the first time since taking two of three from the White Sox June 8-10. Johnson has heated up lately with 10 hits in the last five games after getting just one in the previous five. He’s had five RBIs in the las

June 25, 2012

Cespedes’ 3-run HR in 9th lifts A’s over Dodgers

OAKLAND (AP) ― His tender left hand and sore left hamstring both on ice after a big day, Yoenis Cespedes shared how he reminded himself to keep the celebration to a minimum. Just a standard jump for joy at home plate, nothing fancy that could lead to further injuries.“No chance,” he said with a smile, in perfect English.The rookie Cuban slugger hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning for his first career game-ending shot, lifting the Oakland Athletics to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodg

June 22, 2012

Ortiz hits grand slam as Red Sox top Marlins 15-5

BOSTON (AP) ― David Ortiz hit a grand slam for one of the Red Sox’s four homers as they set a season high in runs, beating the Miami Marlins 15-5 Wednesday night on the hottest day of the year in Boston.Mike Aviles, Jarod Saltalamacchia and Will Middlebrooks also homered one night after Ortiz hit one of Boston’s three homers in a 7-5 victory over Miami.With a game-time temperature of 95 degrees, the Red Sox pounded out 16 hits and won their fourth straight game and sixth in their last seven. The

June 21, 2012

Indians stun Reds

CLEVELAND (AP) ― Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run homer with one out in the 10th inning off hard-throwing Aroldis Chapman to give the Cleveland Indians a 3-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.Cabrera drove a 3-1 pitch from Chapman (4-3) into the seats in right field. The second homer allowed this season by the left-hander scored Choo Shin-soo, who had reached on a one-out single up the middle.Nick Hagadone (1-0) worked one-third of an inning in Cleveland’s second straight win over the

June 20, 2012

Choo, Indians outslug Reds

CLEVELAND (AP) ― Lonnie Chisenhall already had the homer, triple and single. So when he came to the plate in the eighth inning, Chisenhall had one objective ― a double.And a piece of history.“A cycle is a big deal,” Chisenhall said. “You’ve got to go after it.” Chisenhall lined out to right field in final at-bat but finished with three hits and three RBIs, and Casey Kotchman drove in three runs as the Cleveland Indians ended Cincinnati’s six-game winning streak with a 10-9 win over the Reds on M

June 19, 2012

KBO puts off plan to create 10th team

The local pro baseball governing body has postponed discussion on the creation of a 10th team.The Korea Baseball Organization decided at an extraordinary board meeting on Tuesday to defer the creation of a new club, citing the lack of players.　The decision sparked strong opposition from players.“As we forewarned, we will take actions. We will boycott the All-Star Game and the World Baseball Classic, and also seek to form the players’ union in an effort to stand up against current teams’ egoism,”

June 19, 2012

Clemens found not guilty on all six charges

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Roger Clemens was acquitted Monday on all charges that he obstructed and lied to Congress by denying he used performance-enhancing drugs to extend his long career as one of the greatest and most-decorated pitchers in baseball history.Fierce on the pitching mound in his playing days, Clemens was quietly emotional after the verdict was announced. “I’m very thankful,” he said, choking up as he spoke. “It’s been a hard five years,” said the pitcher, who was retried after an earlier

June 19, 2012

Clemens found not guilty on all six charges

MLB: Cleveland 10, Cincinnati 9

Lonnie Chisenhall and Casey Kotchman each provided three RBI Monday in the Cleveland Indians' 10-9 interleague slugfest win over Cincinnati.Chisenhall and Kotchman each belted a two-run homer and both delivered run-scoring hits in the decisive sixth inning, when the Indians grabbed a 9-7 lead off Sam LeCure (2-2).Shin-Soo Choo added a solo shot and an RBI double for the Indians, who banged out 13

June 19, 2012

Alvarez lifts Pirates past Tribe

CLEVELAND (AP) ― Pedro Alvarez had one of his best games yet. Still, it was a win by the Pittsburgh Pirates that had him really excited.Alvarez drove in a career-high six runs with his second two-homer game in two days, powering Pittsburgh past the Cleveland Indians 9-5 Sunday.“I’m just glad to help us win the series,” Alvarez said as music blared in the clubhouse following the Pirates’ second victory in three games, giving them a sixth series win in their last seven matchups.Alvarez seemed unfa

June 18, 2012

Nexen still on SK’s tail

Korea’s own “Moneyball” team, the Nexen Heroes, were still going strong Sunday after skyrocketing to the top at the beginning of May.After sitting at the top of the league from May 23-25, a first for the club since April 2009, the team has danced between second and third.Despite having the lowest budget, four million won ($3.5 million), out of the eight clubs, the team currently sits at joint second with the LG Twins after the game week.And it’s the sluggers of the club, mainly 25-year-old Kang

June 18, 2012

Teixeira, Yankees top Nationals in 14

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Entering the 14th inning, the New York Yankees were 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position, and Washington Nationals teen sensation Bryce Harper was 0 for 6 at the plate.The Yankees got off their goose egg. Harper didn’t.Mark Teixeira’s two-run double to the right-field corner made the difference Saturday as the Yankees won their eighth straight game, beating the Nationals 5-3.New York outfielder Dewayne Wise, who cut down a runner at the plate in the eighth inning to keep t

June 17, 2012