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

May 25, 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

May 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

May 22, 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

May 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

May 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

May 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

May 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

May 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

May 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

May 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

May 17, 2020

KBO manager maintains 'glass half-full' outlook amid losing streak

Kiwoom Heroes' rookie manager Son Hyuk is an optimist by nature. Even with his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club mired in a four-game losing skid heading into Sunday's action, Son is maintaining his "glass half-full" mindset. "In the past two, three seasons, we had mediocre starts and then picked things up in the summer," Son noted before facing the LG Twins at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. "As long as we stay afloat, I think we'll be just fine." The Heroes won f

May 17, 2020

Aching back aside, KBO manager rejoices over double header sweep

LG Twins' manager Ryu Joong-il got out of bed Sunday morning with his back hurting a little more than usual. He had just managed a double header against the Kiwoom Heroes for more than six hours on Saturday, and he spent the majority of that time standing in and pacing around the dugout at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. This was the first double header of the young Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season. That the Twins won both games eased Ryu's pain. "This was our first double header in qu

May 17, 2020

Playing time or not, KBO catcher just wants to win

Kiwoom Heroes' catcher Park Dong-won is a manager's dream. He does not care about his playing time. He does not care about his personal stats. As long as his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club keeps on winning, Park is a happy man. And the Heroes have done quite a bit of winning lately. They defeated the Samsung Lions 3-2 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Tuesday for their fourth straight victory and climbed to first place in the young 2020 season at 6-1. Park delivered a game-tying solo h

May 13, 2020

KBO announces rules on suspended games

The South Korean baseball league announced rules on running "special" suspended games and subsequent double headers on Tuesday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) will bring these suspended games into play this season, which opened last Tuesday after more than a month of delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the past, a game that had to be stopped because of inclement weather before the completion of the fifth inning was wiped clean, and the teams had to play a new game from

May 12, 2020

American players in KBO trying to keep business as usual amid ESPN hype

When Dan Straily left the United States for South Korea to continue his pitching career in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in 2020, he thought he was through getting much exposure in his home country. He was only focused on getting back to Major League Baseball (MLB) someday, so his son can watch him pitch in the bigs. But life can throw you a curve at the most unexpected times. No one could have predicted the coronavirus pandemic would have ground sports leagues around the world to a ha

May 12, 2020

For love of the game: with KBO on ESPN, American fans happy to watch live baseball

After coming home from a hectic day at work, Patty Noakes likes to wind down by watching baseball on ESPN. But it is not just any baseball she is watching on the US cable station these days. ESPN will be carrying six Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) games per week this season, while Major League Baseball (MLB) remains grounded due to the coronavirus pandemic. For fans like Noakes, who grew up in Cincinnati during the "Big Red Machine" era of the early 1970s, KBO is the only basebal

May 9, 2020

Baseball league enjoys strong TV, online ratings on Opening Day

The South Korean baseball league has hit a home run with its television and online ratings on the first day of the new season. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Wednesday that the five Opening Day games from the previous day had an average rating of 1.47 percent on terrestrial and cable networks, up from 1.39 percent from last year's Opening Day. The 2020 season began belatedly Tuesday, after the original, March 28 start date was pushed back due to the coronavirus outbreak. With

May 6, 2020

LG Twins beat defending champs Doosan Bears to open 2020 KBO season

The LG Twins defeated the defending champions Doosan Bears 8-2 to start the 2020 regular season in the Korea Baseball Organization on Tuesday, powered by the first home run of the season from their captain. Kim Hyun-soo blasted his fourth career Opening Day home run for the Twins at Jamsil Stadium and drove in three runs, as the Twins got the better of their Seoul rivals. Kim's was the KBO's very first long ball of the new season.  It was one of five games played across the nation, as

May 5, 2020

Baseball game interrupted by fire near stadium

A South Korean baseball game was interrupted by a fire that broke out near a stadium in the southern part of the country on Tuesday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season opening game between the Kia Tigers and the Kiwoom Heroes was halted during the bottom of the fourth inning, when black smoke from a fire near Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju reached the ballpark. When it became too difficult to see, home plate umpire Jeon Il-soo suspended the game, with the Heroes ahead 4-0 wi

May 5, 2020