South Korea defeated Australia 8-3 in an exhibition game on Tuesday ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC).   Starter Wook Kyu-min tossed four shutout innings, and No. 2 hitter Seo Geon-chang went 5-for-5 at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul to lead South Korea to its third straight victory in the lead-up to the tournament.   South Korea earlier defeated Cuba in back-to-back games last weekend.   South Korea will host Pool A games in the first round against Israel, the Netherlands and Chinese Taipei,

Feb. 28, 2017

South Korea rallied to defeat Cuba 7-6 in their exhibition game on Sunday ahead of the World Baseball Classic.The home team erased a 3-1 deficit in a six-run seventh inning to beat Cuba for the second straight day at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. On Saturday, South Korea prevailed 6-1.South Korea will host Pool A action in the first round against Israel, the Netherlands and Chinese Taipei, starting on March 6.Cuba will face Japan, Australia and China in Pool B play in Tokyo.The team's next exhibiti

Feb. 26, 2017

INCHEON (Yonhap) -- Eight national baseball team members from the reigning league champions Doosan Bears said Thursday they'll represent the country with pride at an upcoming international tournament.No Korea Baseball Organization club will have more representation at the World Baseball Classic next month. And these eight players -- infielders Oh Jae-won, Kim Jae-ho and Hur Kyoung-min; outfielders Min Byung-hun and Park Kun-woo; and pitchers Chang Won-jun and Lee Hyun-seung -- halted their offse

Feb. 9, 2017

South Korean slugger Park Byung-ho has been designated for assignment by the Minnesota Twins, facing a likely demotion to the minors.The Twins made the move Friday (local time) to make room for reliever Matt Belisle on their 40-man roster.Park, who made his major league debut last season as the Twins' designated hitter, must wait and see if any other team claims him off waivers over the next seven days. If he clears waivers -- meaning, if no club picks him up -- Park then may be sent outright to

Feb. 4, 2017

South Korean major leaguer Kang Jung-ho was questioned by police Tuesday over allegations of fleeing the scene after causing an accident while driving under the influence (DUI) last week.Kang, an infielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates, appeared at Gangnam Police Station in southern Seoul to undergo questioning for a second time over suspicions he left the scene after crashing into a guardrail on his way to his hotel on Friday. "I am very sorry to all my fans," he told reporters before entering the

Dec. 6, 2016

South Korean major league player Kang Jung-ho was arrested after a crash that occurred under the influence of alcohol Friday, Seoul police said.According to Gangnam Police Station in southern Seoul, Kang was booked for fleeing the scene after crashing into a guard rail on his way to his hotel in Samseong-dong at 2:48 a.m.A person in the passenger seat, whose identity was withheld, reported to police that he or she was the driver of the vehicle. After analyzing the car's black box, police determi

Dec. 2, 2016

The South Korean baseball club Kia Tigers said Sunday they've signed new American pitcher Pat Dean for the upcoming season.The Korea Baseball Organization club inked the left-hander to a one-year contract worth $900,000. The 27-year-old replaces Zeke Spruill, who went 10-13 with a 5.27 ERA in his first season with the Tigers.Dean, a former third round draft pick by the Minnesota Twins, made all of his 19 major league appearances in 2016 with the same club. He was 1-6 with a 6.28 ERA.Dean has spe

Nov. 27, 2016

South Korea has solidified its No. 3 place in the world's new official baseball rankings, narrowing the gap with the United States, according to a related global organization on Saturday.The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) updated the list based on the four-year performances through 2016 of 70 countries' entire national teams from U-12 to professional.South Korea maintained its third place but "advanced within striking distance of the No. 2 spot, closing the distance behind the U.S.

Nov. 26, 2016

The Doosan Bears are the champions of South Korean baseball for the second straight year.The Bears defeated the NC Dinos 8-1 on Wednesday to complete the four-game sweep of the Korean Series at Masan Stadium in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. They now have five Korea Baseball Organization championships.The series MVP Yang Eui-ji blasted a solo shot as part of his three-hit night, and starter Yoo Hee-kwan tossed five shutout innings for the win, as the Bear

Nov. 3, 2016

The NC Dinos may boast some of the most feared sluggers in the Korea Baseball Organization, but the Doosan Bears right-hander Michael Bowden thinks they're still "beatable" with good execution of pitches.The two clubs are going toe-to-toe in the Korean Series, the KBO's championship final. The Bears claimed the opener 1-0 in 11 innings at their home, Jamsil Stadium in Seoul. And Bowden, in his first KBO season, is slated to start Tuesday's Game 3 on the road at Masan Stadium in Changwon, South G

Oct. 30, 2016

The Doosan Bears walked off on the NC Dinos 1-0 on Saturday to claim the opening game of the Korean Series.Oh Jae-il hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 11th at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, as the Bears, the 2015 champions, built a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series in the Korea Baseball Organization.There have been 33 Korean Series, and the Game 1 winner has gone on to capture the title in 24 of them. There was a tie in Game 1 of the inaugural Korean Series in 1982.In each of th

Oct. 30, 2016

Defending South Korean baseball champion Doosan Bears said Thursday they will be without a key reliever in their title defense.The Korea Baseball Organization club said right-hander Jung Jae-hoon will not be available for the Korean Series with a broken right shoulder. The best-of-seven series is scheduled to begin on Oct. 29.The Bears earned the bye to the Korean Series by winning the pennant. They won the KBO championship in 2015, too.Jung, a 14-year veteran, went 1-5 this year with 23 holds,

Oct. 21, 2016

When the NC Dinos host the LG Twins to start the second playoff round in the Korea Baseball Organization this week, the relatively small ballpark here in the southeastern part of the nation could play a big role, the teams' managers said Thursday.Game 1 between the two clubs is 6:30 p.m. Friday at Masan Stadium in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, some 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul. NC manager Kim Kyung-moon and LG manager Yang Sang-moon agreed small dimensions of the ballpark could mean

Oct. 21, 2016