Batting cleanup is 'dream come true' for emerging slugger

After five years in the baseball netherworld, Kim Jae-hwan of the Doosan Bears is finally enjoying a breakout season.The 27-year-old is batting cleanup for the best team in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), and leads the team with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs in just 67 at-bats across 22 games. The home run and RBI totals are already career highs for Kim, who never played in more than 52 games in any of his five previous seasons. Kim is also slugging at a .910 clip, as 15 of his 26 hits have go

May 12, 2016

Veteran southpaw bothered by overuse controversy

For the second straight Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, the Hanwha Eagles' left-hander Kwon Hyuk finds himself on the fine line between dedication and overuse.A year after leading all KBO relievers with a career-high 112 innings, the 14-year pro is at it again. He leads all relievers with 19 appearances, and is second with 23 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.As he did last year, manager Kim Sung-keun, long notorious for working his pitchers into the ground, is using the left-hander in al

May 12, 2016

Struggling Korean infielder designated for assignment by Angels

Struggling South Korean infielder Choi Ji-man was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday (local time).The Angels said they moved him off their 40-man roster to make room for pitcher Jhoulys Chacin, recently acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves.Choi, 24, joined the Angels via the Rule 5 Draft in December, after signing a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles. He spent his first five seasons in the Seattle Mariners' system.Choi made his major league debut th

May 12, 2016

Two best KBO clubs going in opposite directions in May

With the first week of May in the books in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the top two clubs in the standings are moving in opposite directions.The Doosan Bears, the defending champs, are in first place at 19-10-1 (wins-losses-ties), but they're in the midst of a four-game losing streak. They were swept by the Lotte Giants at home over the weekend, starting the three-game set with back-to-back shutout losses and ending it with a 17-11 drubbing.Breathing down the Bears' neck are the NC Din

May 9, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho hits first big league triple

Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins hit the first triple of his major league career Monday against the Houston Astros.Park touched the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Dallas Keuchel for a two-run triple in the top of the fifth, making it 5-1 Twins at Minute Maid Park in Houston.With men at first and second with one out, Park sent an 85 mph fastball over center fielder Colby Rasmus, bringing both runners home.The three-bagger chased Keuchel from the game. It was Park's second hit

May 3, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho records first hit with men in scoring position

Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins got his first hit with a runner in scoring position Sunday at home against the Detroit Tigers.Park went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, as the Twins lost 6-5 at Target Field.Park drove in his one run of the game with two outs and men at first and second in the bottom of the first. Park hit a single to right off Mike Pelfrey to drive in Joe Mauer from second, giving the Twins a 1-0 lead.Park had gone 0-for-15 with men in scoring position prior to this game. He

May 2, 2016

Orioles' Kim Hyun-soo records 1st double in three-hit game

Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles picked up his first major league double as part of a three-hit game at home Saturday.Batting ninth and playing left field, Kim went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in the 8-7 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Kim is batting .600 in his first big league season.The former Korean All-Star outfielder was making only his sixth appearance of the season.Kim got his first career extra-base hit in his first at-bat in the bottom thir

May 1, 2016

Orioles' Kim Hyung-soo delivers pinch-hit single

Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles delivered a pinch-hit single against the Chicago White Sox at home Thursday.Kim came off the bench with a man on first and one out in the bottom eighth, replacing No. 3 hitter Chris Davis at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. With the O's leading 10-2, Kim hit a single off Daniel Webb to left field.Kim had missed the team's previous four games and this was his fifth appearance this season. The outfielder is now batting 6-for-11 with one RBI, two walks but no extra

April 29, 2016

Korea lifts ban on ballpark beer vendors

South Korea's tax office has decided to lift a controversial ban on beer vendors at baseball stadiums, officials said Thursday, apparently giving into an outcry from angry fans.Starting Monday, "beer boys" were banned from carrying kegs of draft beer and pouring it into cups upon order from fans sitting in the stands under government guidelines that cite a negative impact on minors and a related law.   In a policy about-face, however, the National Tax Service has decided to allow mobile sales of

April 21, 2016

Scoreless innings streak snapped for Cardinals' Oh Seung-hwan

Oh Seung-hwan of the St. Louis Cardinals gave up his first two runs of the season Wednesday against the Chicago Cubs.The South Korean right-hander saw his scoreless innings streak snapped at eight innings, after allowing two runs in the top of the eighth inning on a rainy day at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.Oh hadn't given up a run in 7 2/3 innings in seven appearances prior to this game.Oh relieved starter Carlos Martinez to start the eighth, with the Cardinals ahead 4-1. The game was delayed by

April 21, 2016

Ex-manager predicts more MLB success for Twins' Park Byung-ho

The former manager for Minnesota Twins' Park Byung-ho is predicting even bigger things to come for the South Korean slugger once he starts getting around on major league fastballs.Yeom Kyung-yup of the Nexen Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization told reporters Tuesday the last hurdle for Park is to be able to connect on fastballs with more consistency, since he can already hit breaking balls well."If Park Byung-ho can start catching up to fastballs, he will be even better than he's been so f

April 20, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho homers for 2nd straight day

Minnesota Twins' South Korean slugger Park Byung-ho homered for the second straight day on Tuesday in Minneapolis.Park launched a solo shot to left in the bottom of the eighth against the Milwaukee Brewers at Target Field, cutting the Twins' deficit to 5-3.It was Park's team-high fourth home run of the year. All four have come with the bases empty and against right-handed pitchers.The Twins tied things up at 5-5 later in the eighth with a two-run shot by Eddie Rosario, but gave up the go-ahead r

April 20, 2016

No decision yet on Korea's hosting of World Baseball Classic games: MLB

No decision has been reached on whether South Korea will host World Baseball Classic games next year, despite a recent statement by an American broadcaster, a senior Major League Baseball (MLB) official said Wednesday.During the Fox Sports telecast of the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday (local time), Dick Bremer, the Twins' play-by-play man, declared, "The WBC, we're heading to Korea. That is our first stop in the WBC (in 2017)." He made the comment while dis

April 20, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho hits 3rd homer of season

Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins hit his third home run of the season Monday against the Milwaukee Brewers.Park flashed some opposite field power against the Brewers starter Chase Anderson, taking him over the right field wall at Target Field in Minneapolis in the bottom of the fourth.Park's solo blast broke the 3-3 tie. Byron Buxton hit an RBI triple later in the same inning to put the Twins up 5-3.Park hit a single to right in the bottom fifth for his first multihit game of the season.Park

April 19, 2016

KBO's Hanwha Eagles in complete disarray

The Hanwha Eagles have gone back to being their old selves in the Korea Baseball Organization, and it's not a good thing, if you know the recent history of this club.The Eagles have lost five straight games to drop to 2-11 in the young season, easily the worst record in the 10-team league. They lost the first two games of the season in extra innings and had a four-game slide earlier this month before dropping five in a row over the past week.To their faithful, the Eagles' woes early this season

April 18, 2016

Mariners' Lee Dae-ho belts walk-off home run

Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners belted a walk-off home run Wednesday for his second long ball of the season.Lee launched a two-run blast in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Texas Rangers at Safeco Field in Seattle, lifting the M's to a 4-2 victory.Lee started the game on the bench and pinch-hit for first baseman Adam Lind against left-hander Jake Diekman, with a man on and two outs in the bottom 10th.Lee looked at a 97-mile-per-hour fastball for a first pitch strike. He fouled off an

April 14, 2016

Orioles' Kim Hyun-soo gets 2 hits in MLB debut

The Baltimore Orioles South Korean outfielder Kim Hyun-soo recorded two hits in his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut Sunday.Batting ninth and playing left field, Kim went 2-for-3 with a run scored as the Orioles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. The Orioles improved to 5-0 this season.Kim, an All-Star in South Korea who signed a two-year deal with the Orioles last December, had watched the club's previous four games on the bench. He had a dismal spring

April 11, 2016

Veteran steps into closer role for early-season surprise

In his ninth Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, Nexen Heroes' right-hander Kim Se-hyun has stepped nicely into the full-time closer role for the first time.The 28-year-old picked up his second save of the season Sunday against the Doosan Bears, tossing one shutout inning to wrap up a 5-4 victory.Kim didn't have a save in 207 appearances prior to this season.The Heroes, a consensus pick to finish in the KBO cellar this year after losing so many key pieces in the offseason, are now sitting

April 11, 2016

Two S. Korean sluggers hit first MLB homers

Two South Korean sluggers picked up their first major league home runs Friday (local time), writing a new page in the history of Koreans' advances into Major League Baseball (MLB).Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins delivered a 132-meter solo homer in the top of the 8th against the Kansas City Royals to break a 2-2 tie.It was his third game in the MLB, appearing sixth as the designated hitter.Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners also hit a solo home run in their home opener against the Oakland At

April 9, 2016