KBO championship ring perfect gift for departing American manager

Trey Hillman will leave the SK Wyverns better than he found it -- as the champions of South Korean baseball.The Wyverns won the 2018 Korean Series on Monday after beating the Doosan Bears 5-4 in 13 innings in Game 6. And during his two-year stint, the American manager transformed the Wyverns into the Korea Baseball Organization champions, their days of being an underachieving team already a distant memory. (Yonhap)But Hillman won't be around to take a crack at a second straight title. He announc

Nov. 13, 2018

SK Wyverns win 1st baseball championship in 8 years

These are the words that have not been written, uttered or heard since 2010: The SK Wyverns are the champions of South Korean baseball.The Wyverns captured the 2018 Korean Series over the Doosan Bears, thanks to a 5-4 victory in 13 innings in Game 6 on Monday at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul.(Yonhap)Korean Series MVP Han Dong-min delivered the game-winning solo home run in the top of the 13th inning, and No. 1 starter Kim Kwang-hyun came on in the bottom 13th to close out the victory on two days' rest

Nov. 13, 2018

Manager tries to ease pressure on players with team on brink

With the 2018 Korean Series nearing the end, the Doosan Bears find themselves in a position that many pundits didn't think they'd be in -- trailing the SK Wyverns 3-2 and one loss away from their second straight runner-up finish.The Bears had the best record during the Korea Baseball Organization regular season at 93-51, tying their own record for most victories in a season and finishing 14.5 games ahead of the Wyverns. This is their fourth straight Korean Series appearance, but all of their reg

Nov. 12, 2018

Doosan Bears edge out SK Wyverns to pull even in Korean Series

INCHEON - The Doosan Bears defeated the SK Wyverns 2-1 to knot the Korean Series at two games apiece on Friday.Jung Soo-bin launched a go-ahead, two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning at SK Happy Dream Park in Incheon, west of Seoul, and starter Josh Lindblom struck out 10 in seven dominant innings for the Bears. Doosan players (Yonhap)Game 5 of the best-of-seven Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) championship series is back at SK Happy Dream Park at 2 p.m. Saturday.The Bears are going

Nov. 9, 2018

Baseball league decides against changing free agency rules this year

The South Korean professional baseball league has decided not to bring changes to its free agency this year, officials said Thursday.The Korea Baseball Organization said it will retain its current free agency system and shelve discussions on putting a cap on the length and value of free agent contracts, among other proposed changes.The KBO made some proposals to the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association in September. The KBO told the players' interest group that it would push forward w

Nov. 8, 2018

Pitcher trying to view Korean Series start 'like any other game'

Doosan Bears' Seth Frankoff has been tapped to start Game 2 of the Korean Series -- the championship final in South Korean baseball -- against the SK Wyverns later Monday in what will be one of the biggest games of his career.But the 30-year-old won't put any added pressure on himself, saying it will be "just another game." (Yonhap)"Being in the Korean Series, there's more on the line. But you have to treat it like any other game and go about your business the same way," Frankoff told Yonhap New

Nov. 5, 2018

SK Wyverns rally past Doosan Bears to open Korean Series

The SK Wyverns defeated the Doosan Bears 7-3 on the road to open the Korean Series on Sunday, flexing their muscles with two home runs.Former Korean Series MVP Park Jung-kwon blasted a go-ahead two-run shot in the sixth inning at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, after Han Dong-min opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first. The Wyverns' pitching survived after issuing nine free passes.Game 2 of the best-of-seven affair is back at Jamsil at 6:30 p.m. Monday.The team that won the first game has

Nov. 4, 2018

American manager relishes opportunity to play for Korean baseball title

Trey Hillman, American manager for the South Korean baseball club SK Wyverns, said Sunday he will relish the opportunity to play for the championship in the Korean Series.The Wyverns will face the Doosan Bears in the best-of-seven Korean Series starting later Sunday. Hillman is the first foreign skipper in Korea Baseball Organization history to manage in the Korean Series.He won the Japanese league title with Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in 2006 and has previously managed the Kansas City Royals.

Nov. 4, 2018

Ryu Hyun-jin receives qualifying offer from Dodgers

South Korean free agent left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin has received a qualifying offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving him a choice to either stay with the club for one more year or explore the open market.The Dodgers made the one-year offer worth $17.9 million -- the mean salary of the 125 highest-paid players -- on Friday (local time). Ryu Hyun-jin (Yonhap)Ryu has 10 days to accept or reject the qualifying offer. If the player declines the deal, he will be free to negotiate with any team, inclu

Nov. 3, 2018

Nexen Heroes defeat SK Wyverns to force deciding Game 5 in postseason series

The Nexen Heroes have forced a deciding Game 5 in the penultimate postseason round in South Korean baseball, defeating the SK Wyverns 4-2 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on Wednesday. The victory knotted the teams' Korea Baseball Organization playoff series at two games apiece.American slugger Jerry Sands blasted a two-run homer as part of his 4-for-4 day, and the Heroes' stout bullpen backed a scoreless start by 19-year-old rookie Lee Seung-ho. An Woo-jin, another 19-year-old freshman, was credite

Nov. 1, 2018

Nexen Heroes edge out SK Wyverns to stay alive in baseball postseason

The Nexen Heroes will live to see another day of South Korean postseason baseball, after earning a nail-biting win on Tuesday.The Heroes defeated the SK Wyverns 3-2 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul to stave off elimination in their second round playoff series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).Song Sung-mun drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth inning, and starter Han Hyun-hee was solid in 5 1/3 innings for the Heroes’ first win of the best-of-five series. (Yon

Oct. 30, 2018

Roller-coaster season for Dodger' Ryu Hyun-jin ends with World Series loss

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin has seen his up-and-down season end with a loss to the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, his future beyond this year still uncertain.The Red Sox defeated the Dodgers 5-1 in Game 5 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday (local time), clinching their ninth title and leaving the Dodgers in search of their first championship since 1988. (AFP-Yonhap)Ryu made history by becoming the first South Korean to start a World Ser

Oct. 29, 2018

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin takes loss in historic World Series start

The Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin took a loss in a historic World Series start against the Boston Red Sox.Ryu became the first South Korean to start a World Series game when he took the hill at Fenway Park on Wednesday (local time) for Game 2. The left-hander was pulled after giving up a run in 4 2/3 innings, with the Dodgers leading 2-1, but his earned run total ballooned to four after reliever Ryan Madson allowed three inherited runners to score.It was 4-2 for the Red

Oct. 25, 2018

Dodgers make Ryu Hyun-jin 1st Korean to start in World Series

Los Angeles Dodgers' left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin will become the first South Korean to start a World Series game this week.The Dodgers will face the Boston Red Sox in the 2018 World Series. Game 1 will be at Fenway Park in Boston on Tuesday, followed by Game 2 at the same venue the next day.LA manager Dave Roberts tapped ace Clayton Kershaw for the opening game, followed by Ryu in Game 2, beginning at 8:09 p.m. (Yonhap)(Eastern Time) on Wednesday, which will be 9:09 a.m. on Thursday in South Korea.

Oct. 23, 2018

Ryu Hyun-jin looking to send Dodgers to World Series

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin will try to pitch his club to their second straight World Series.The left-hander will start Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at 7:39 p.m. (Central Time) on Friday, which will be 9:39 a.m. Saturday in Seoul, at Miller Park in Milwaukee.Given how much is at stake, this just may be the most important start of Ryu's six-year major league career. (Yonhap)The Dodgers lead the best-of-seven series 3-2

Oct. 19, 2018

Former doormats to get 1st taste of Korean baseball postseason

After years of toiling near the bottom of the standings in South Korean baseball, the Hanwha Eagles will finally get their taste of the postseason this week.The Eagles will host the Nexen Heroes in Game 1 of the best-of-five first-round series in the Korea Baseball Organization on Friday. The first pitch at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, is at 6:30 p.m.(Yonhap)As the third-ranked team from the regular season, the Eagles have the home-field advantage and will h

Oct. 17, 2018

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin gets no-decision in NLCS vs. Brewers

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin has taken a no-decision in the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.Ryu was charged with two earned runs on six hits, including a home run, in 4 1/3 innings in Game 2 of the best-of-seven set at Miller Park in Milwaukee on Saturday (local time). Ryu was pulled in the fifth with the Dodgers down 2-0, but his teammates got him off the hook by rallying for a 4-3 victory.Ryu entered this contest with a 2-0 record

Oct. 14, 2018

Dodgers, Ryu Hyun-jin headed to NLDS

The Los Angeles Dodgers and their South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin are headed to the National League Division Series.The Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-2 in a tiebreaker game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Monday (local time) to determine the NL West division champions.The two clubs finished their 162-game schedule deadlocked at 91-71, and by taking Game No. 163, the Dodgers clinched their sixth consecutive NL West title. (Yonhap)That sets up an NLDS showdown against the Atlanta B

Oct. 2, 2018

2 Korean pitchers enjoy solid MLB regular seasons; playoffs on horizon

Two South Korean pitchers in the majors, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oh Seung-hwan of the Colorado Rockies, both enjoyed strong regular seasons for their National League West clubs in 2018, with some playoff baseball on the horizon for both in October.In the final year of his six-year, $36 million contract, the 31-year-old Ryu enjoyed by far his best season -- remarkable not just because of his impressive numbers, but also because of an injury history that includes shoulder and e

Oct. 1, 2018

Late-blooming slugger learns to keep emotions in check

Given the impressive frequency with which he's been hitting balls out of Korea Baseball Organization stadiums lately, it's difficult to believe Doosan Bears' slugger Kim Jae-hwan was only a fringe player just three years ago, not deemed good enough to compete in the top-tier league.Along the way, he hasn't just improved as a hitter. The 30-year-old has also learned how to control his emotions so that he is better equipped to survive the six-month grind that is a baseball season. In this file pho

Sept. 27, 2018