The Korea Herald

Korea to open vs. Netherlands

South Korea will open the 2013 World Baseball Classic against the Netherlands in March next year.According to the schedules released by the tournament organizers Tuesday, South Korea, the runner-up at the previous WBC in 2009, will start the campaign against the Dutch on March 2 in Taichung, Taiwan.In the opening round of the March 2-19 tournament, South Korea has been paired with the Netherlands, Australia and Taiwan in Pool B. The second match for South Korea will be against Australia on March

Dec. 4, 2012

Napoli to Sox, Loney to Rays

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) ― The Boston Red Sox began to play catch-up by getting All-Star catcher Mike Napoli, Tampa Bay took a chance on James Loney and the New York Yankees prepared for more time minus Alex Rodriguez during a brisk Monday at baseball’s winter meetings.Soon after the Hall of Fame welcomed three new members from long ago, teams got busy. The World Series champion San Francisco Giants kept center fielder Angel Pagan while the Texas Rangers brought back catcher Geovany Soto and ne

Dec. 4, 2012

Lotte Giants file complaint over schedule

The Lotte Giants in South Korea’s top baseball league filed a complaint at the league office over an unbalanced schedule next year that they claim puts them at a disadvantage compared with other teams.The Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization, based in Busan, said they asked the league office whether it had been fair in setting out the schedule for 2013 and demanded the timetable be modified.An expansion NC Dinos will join the KBO next year as a ninth club. With an odd number of clubs in act

Dec. 4, 2012

Lotte pitcher nabbed for drunk driving

Korean professional baseball player Go Won-jun has been taken into custody for drunk driving, Busan police said Monday.The 23-year-old pitcher, who plays for the Lotte Giants in the Korea Baseball Organization, allegedly crashed his vehicle into another car at 4:50 a.m. on Sunday. No one was hurt in the accident.Go’s blood alcohol content level was 0.086 percent, enough to have his driver’s license suspended, according to police. Police requested a blood test from Go, and said they will conduct

Dec. 3, 2012

Tears of pride

Ending his 19-year professional baseball career, veteran pitcher Park Chan-ho said Friday he is looking forward to opening a new chapter in his life and helping develop the sport in his native land.Park, 39, first announced his retirement on Thursday through his South Korean club, the Hanwha Eagles, and held a press conference Friday to talk about his decision.“I’d like to say this is not an end, but a new beginning for me,” Park said, at times holding back tears. “I decided to call it quits to

Nov. 30, 2012

Bonds, Clemens on Hall ballot

NEW YORK (AP) ― The most polarizing Hall of Fame debate since Pete Rose will now be decided by the baseball shrine’s voters: Do Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa belong in Cooperstown despite drug allegations that tainted their huge numbers?In a monthlong election sure to become a referendum on the Steroids Era, the Hall ballot was released Wednesday, and Bonds, Clemens and Sosa are on it for the first time.Bonds is the all-time home run champion with 762 and won a record seven MVP award

Nov. 29, 2012

Park Chan-ho calls it quits

It’s been a long and eventful ride, spanning 19 years and three countries, but South Korean baseball player Park Chan-ho is finally hanging up his glove.“Park Chan-ho notified the team this afternoon that he is retiring,” an official from Park’s team Hanwha Eagles said Thursday. The team said it would respect Park’s decision.The official added that Park would hold a press conference at the Westin Chosun Hotel in Seoul at 11 a.m. on Friday.The pitcher joined professional baseball in 1994, playing

Nov. 29, 2012

Longoria gets $100m extension

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) ― Evan Longoria wants to be with the Tampa Bay Rays for his entire big league career.The slugging third baseman got his wish Monday when they Rays agreed to a $136.6 million, 10-year contract that adds six guaranteed seasons and $100 million.“I always wanted to be kind of a benchmark player ... the guy that you could think about or associate with the organization,” Longoria said. “My goal from Day One was to be the first player that played their whole career here, to

Nov. 27, 2012

Baseball officials opposed to moving Seoul team to new dome next year

South Korean baseball officials were up in arms Friday against Seoul’s plan to relocate a professional club in the nation’s capital to a new domed stadium next year, accusing the city of reaching the decision unilaterally without prior consultation with the baseball community.The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Thursday laid out a plan to move one of three Seoul-based Korea Baseball Organization clubs in 2013 to a dome currently under construction in Gocheok-dong, located in the southwestern pa

Nov. 23, 2012

Bong Jung-keun to miss WBC with injury

Veteran left-handed pitcher Bong Jung-keun will miss the World Baseball Classic next year because of shoulder problems, South Korean national team officials said Thursday.Bong, a 32-year-old closer for the LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization, will undergo up to four months of rehab on his left shoulder, according to Yang Sang-moon, the national team’s bench coach.Bong, who previously pitched for the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball, has represented South Ko

Nov. 22, 2012

Marlins’ salary dump finalized

MIAMI (AP) ― The Miami Marlins’ latest payroll purge received final approval Monday from the commissioner’s office, and as the team’s top baseball executive began to discuss the deal during a conference call, a bad connection generated waves of reverberating noise that filled the phone line.Nearly a week after the Marlins swung their widely ridiculed trade with Toronto, negative feedback keeps coming.Commissioner Bud Selig approved the blockbuster deal, however, even though it made Marlins fans

Nov. 20, 2012

Baseball free agents switch teams, stay put in whirlwind of offseason activities

Following a frenzy of weekend activities and a surprise signing Monday, all 11 free agents in South Korea's top baseball league now have teams to play for in 2013.Hong Sung-heon, a 35-year-old designated hitter, on Monday reached a four-year deal with the Doosan Bears, where he began his career in 1999. The deal is worth 3.1 billion won ($2.9 million), including salary and signing bonus, but further details of the deal were not disclosed.Hong, who had been with the Lotte Giants since 2009, was t

Nov. 19, 2012

Lim to decide on future next month

South Korean relief pitcher Lim Chang-yong, having been released by his Japanese club, will decide on his future early next month, his agent here said Friday.The 36-year-old submarine closer was recently released by the Yakult Swallows in the Central League of the Nippon Professional Baseball. Now free to sign with any team, Lim could return to the Central League or even test the market in Major League Baseball, said agent Park Yoo-hyun.“A U.S. team has expressed interest in Lim Chang-yong,” Par

Nov. 16, 2012

Cabrera, Posey win MVP awards

NEW YORK (AP) ― Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera won the American League’s Most Valuable Player award on Thursday after becoming baseball’s first Triple Crown winner in 45 years, and San Francisco’s Buster Posey was voted the National League honor.Cabrera received 22 of 28 first-place votes and 362 points from the AL panel of Baseball Writers’ Association of America to easily beat out Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, who had six firsts and 281 points. Trout was voted AL Rookie of the Year e

Nov. 16, 2012

Bleeding Dodger Blue

NEWPORT BEACH, California (AP) ― Ryu Hyun-jin grew up in South Korea dreaming of playing in his country’s professional baseball league. Once he achieved that, he developed a new goal ― to pitch in the United States for a major league team.Ryu’s dream got closer to reality last week when the Los Angeles Dodgers submitted the highest bid for the right to negotiate with the 25-year-old left-hander and his agent, Scott Boras.Under baseball’s posting system, the Dodgers offered $25,737,373.33 to Ryu’

Nov. 16, 2012

Price, Dickey win Cy Young awards

NEW YORK (AP) ― David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey of the New York Mets won baseball’s Cy Young awards on Wednesday.Price barely beat out 2011 winner Justin Verlander for the American League prize in one of the closest votes ever. Dickey was an easy choice for the NL honor in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.The 38-year-old Dickey became the first pitcher who relied predominantly on a knuckleball to win the Cy Young Award.

Nov. 15, 2012

Johnson, Melvin named MLB’s top managers

NEW YORK (AP) ― Davey Johnson of the Washington Nationals, and Bob Melvin of the Oakland Athletics were chosen as managers of the year on Tuesday after guiding their teams to huge turnaround seasons.Melvin beat out Baltimore’s Buck Showalter for the AL honor in a close vote by a Baseball Writers’ Association of America panel. Under Melvin, the A’s made a 20-game improvement, finished 94-68 and won the AL West.Johnson was an easy choice for the NL prize after the Nationals ― who had never enjoyed

Nov. 14, 2012

Trout, Harper voted Rookies of the Year

NEW YORK (AP) ― Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels became the youngest AL Rookie of the Year on Monday and Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals was voted the second-youngest winner of the NL honor.Trout, who turned 21 on Aug. 7, received all 28 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s AL panel. The center fielder was the eighth unanimous AL pick and the first since Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria in 2008.Trout, who hit .326 with 30 homers and 83 RBIs, received the ma

Nov. 13, 2012

Choo and Ryu part of WBC provisional roster

Outfielder Choo Shin-soo, the only South Korean playing in Major League Baseball, and pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin, in negotiations for a major league contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, were among 28 players named on Monday to the country’s provisional roster for the World Baseball Classic next year.The Korea Baseball Organization unveiled a list of 13 pitchers, two catchers, eight outfielders and five infielders for the international competition.The roster also included slugging first baseman Lee D

Nov. 12, 2012

Choo and Ryu part of WBC provisional roster

Samsung closer Oh Seung-hwan to stay in S. Korea

The Samsung Lions' closer Oh Seung-hwan decided on Monday to stay with his South Korean club for 2013 and put his dreams of playing overseas on hold, team officials said Monday.Song Sam-bong, general manager of the Korea Baseball Organization club, said Oh, the league's all-time saves leader, told him in their meeting he would pitch one more season for the Daegu-based team before testing the free agent market.The Lions have won the past two KBO championships. Song said he told Oh the Lions would

Nov. 12, 2012