[Newsmaker] Lee Hyun-jung, a second Korean NBA player in making?

Days after Lee Hyun-jung of the Davidson Wildcats scorched the University of North Caroline at Charlotte 49ers with a career-high 32 points on Nov. 30, all the buzz around the Korean-born scorer focused on three letters: NBA. Now in his junior year, the 21-year-old native of Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, has been making regular appearances in mock NBA drafts since he became the first Davidson Wildcat to record a 50-40-90 season -- at least 50 percent, 40 percent and 90 percent in field goal, thre

Dec. 3, 2021

Choi Ji-man to stay with Rays on new one-year deal

South Korean big league first baseman Choi Ji-man has signed a new one-year contract to stay with the Tampa Bay Rays. MLB.com reported that Choi agreed to a $3.2 million deal Tuesday (US time), avoiding salary arbitration for the second straight offseason. Choi, not yet eligible for free agency, earned $2.45 million in 2021 after winning his first arbitration case. Choi, 30, made his major league debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016. He bounced around for a bit before thriving as a full-

Dec. 1, 2021

Former MVPs, MLB players headline list of KBO free agents

Former MVPs and major league players are among 14 free agents in South Korean baseball this winter. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Thursday 14 out of 19 players eligible for free agency had decided to exercise their rights. Those 14 are free to sign deals starting Friday. The 2018 regular season MVP Kim Jae-hwan is entering the open market for the first time at age 33 after 14 years with the Doosan Bears. Kim had 27 home runs and 102 RBIs – the fifth time in the past six

Nov. 25, 2021

Much riding on ace's shoulders as Bears try to rally in Korean Series

Having dug themselves into an early hole in the Korean Series, the Doosan Bears will now turn to their best starter from the regular season. The Bears have dropped the first two games of the best-of-seven set against the KT Wiz. They will have left-hander Ariel Miranda start Game 3 when the series resumes at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. But it will be a much different version of Miranda than the one the Bears saw during an MVP-worthy regular season. This will be the first

Nov. 16, 2021

What nerves? KT Wiz's Korean Series debutants playing like veterans

Entering this year's Korean Series against the Doosan Bears, the KT Wiz only carried two players with prior experience in the South Korean baseball championship stage. One was 40-year-old designated hitter Yoo Han-joon, who'd played in one in 2014. The other was backup catcher Hur Do-hwan, who'd only been a part-time player in the 2014 and 2018 Korean Series. Compare that to the Bears, who are playing in their seventh consecutive Korean Series. Other than rookies, virtually everyone has some e

Nov. 16, 2021

Defense, relief pitching betray Bears in opening Korean Series loss

Errors aren't always the most accurate measure of defense in baseball, but untimely miscues on the field can come bite a team when they least expect them. Just ask the Doosan Bears, whose defense failed them in an opening 4-2 loss to the KT Wiz in the Korean Series on Sunday. Three of the Wiz's runs were unearned, having been a direct result of fielding errors that preceded them. The Bears committed two errors. First, third baseman Heo Kyoung-min, one of the better defenders at the hot corner

Nov. 15, 2021

KT Wiz manager trying to stick to guns in 1st Korean Series

If there's anything that KT Wiz skipper Lee Kang-chul learned last year managing in his first postseason, it's that he shouldn't mess with what got him there in the first place. The Wiz got knocked out of the penultimate round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason in 2020, losing to the Doosan Bears in four games. This year, the Wiz have taken an extra step, earning a bye to the Korean Series as the regular season champions. And once again, the Wiz will face the Bears, which, aft

Nov. 14, 2021

Revenge not on mind of sophomore starter in Korean Series

Though he will be facing the same opponents that eliminated his team from the postseason last year, KT Wiz right-hander So Hyeong-jun won't be out to get his revenge. "All I am thinking about is winning our first championship," So told reporters Sunday before Game 1 of the Korean Series against the Doosan Bears at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "It just happened that we'll be playing the Bears again, and I know my teammates and our fans have talked about avenging our loss from last y

Nov. 14, 2021

Fully healed from injury, Cuban ace ready to chase 3rd championship ring

As he was watching his Doosan Bears teammates battle through postseason games this month, the competitor in the team's Cuban ace Ariel Miranda was itching to get going and join them on the field. Miranda missed time at the end of the regular season in late October and then the early portion of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason this month with shoulder fatigue. But instead of leaving South Korea for rehab and treatment, Miranda stayed with the club, healing and hoping that his tea

Nov. 14, 2021

KT Wiz manager boldly predicts Korean Series sweep over Doosan Bears

The KT Wiz will be playing in the South Korean baseball championship series for the first time starting Sunday, and their manager Lee Kang-chul believes it could be a short series in his club's favor against the Doosan Bears.    At Saturday's media day press conference ahead of the Korean Series, Lee said his club may even pull off a four-game sweep in the best-of-seven series.    "If we can grab the early momentum, then I think a 4-0 series win is possible," Lee

Nov. 13, 2021

Bears' ace Miranda voted KBO's top player for Oct.

Doosan Bears' left-hander Ariel Miranda has been named South Korean baseball's top player for October, the month in which he also set an all-time strikeout record for a season. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Tuesday that the Cuban ace beat five other candidates for the Player of the Month honor for the final month of the regular season. Miranda earned 15 out of 32 votes from media, and 144,942 out of 277,106 online votes cast by fans. He went 2-0 in five October starts and re

Nov. 9, 2021

Old rivals set for 1st KBO postseason clash in 6 years

Two old rivals in South Korean baseball will reacquaint themselves with each other in the penultimate stage of the postseason starting Tuesday. The Samsung Lions will host the Doosan Bears in Game 1 of the best-of-three second round at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The second game will be at the Bears' home in Seoul, Jamsil Baseball Stadium, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. If the series goes the distance, Game 3 will be back in Daegu at

Nov. 8, 2021

Late-round pick living out KBO postseason dream for Twins

At the 2017 rookie draft in South Korean baseball, Moon Sung-ju was selected 97th overall by the LG Twins, with only three players coming after him. Few would have given Moon any chance of even making it to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), let alone thriving in the league. But here he is in November 2021, wielding a hot bat for the Twins in a postseason series against their Seoul rivals, Doosan Bears. In two games in the first round, all tied at one game apiece, Moon has batted 3-for-7 w

Nov. 7, 2021

All hands on deck for managers in do-or-die KBO postseason game

Managers of the two South Korean baseball clubs set up for a win-or-go-home postseason game Sunday said they will take an all-hands-on-deck approach to the final showdown. The LG Twins and the Doosan Bears are knotted at 1-1 in the best-of-three opening round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. Game 3 is at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, where LG manager Ryu Ji-hyun will have usual starter Andrew Suarez ready to come in at any moment. "Suarez will be in the bullpen, an

Nov. 7, 2021

Landers' star Choo Shin-soo makes free agency pitch to ex-franchise icon

Before ex-major leaguer Choo Shin-soo signed with the SSG Landers this year and became an instant star in South Korean baseball, left-hander Kim Kwang-hyun had been the icon for the franchise once called the SK Wyverns. The lanky left-hander has spent the past two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, while Choo played in the Korea Baseball Organization for the first time in 2021. With Kim now a free agent, the two could potentially become teammates in 2022. Choo said Saturday he would love t

Nov. 6, 2021

KBO's Lotte Giants hire ex-Mets coach Meinhold

The South Korean baseball club Lotte Giants announced Saturday they've hired former New York Mets assistant pitching coach Ricky Meinhold as their director of pitching. The Korea Baseball Organization club said the arrival of the 35-year-old completes their staff on the pitching side for 2022. The Giants said Meinhold will oversee operations and development of their pitching staff at all levels of the organization, from the KBO down to the minors. Meinhold was not drafted coming out of Drury

Nov. 6, 2021

In another up-and-down year, Heroes gone early from KBO postseason again

From the topsy-turvy regular season to the bitter, early ending to the postseason, things have been all too familiar for the Kiwoom Heroes this year. The Heroes lost to the Doosan Bears 16-8 in the second wild card game Tuesday night to take an exit from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. They also fell in the wild card stage last year. As the lower seed at No. 5, the Heroes had to win two straight games to advance. They took care of the first part of business Monday, when they

Nov. 3, 2021

Citing COVID-19 risks, govt. urges baseball fans to refrain from chanting

National health authorities on Tuesday called on baseball fans to refrain from chanting at stadiums, pointing to risks of spreading COVID-19 even among masked individuals. In a press briefing, Son Young-rae, a senior health ministry official, reminded fans that vocal cheering is still prohibited at Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) games, despite stadiums being fully open again. Starting this month, the KBO decided to operate all stadiums at 100 percent capacity for the postseason, provided th

Nov. 2, 2021

One manager gone, others likely staying put among non-playoff teams in KBO, for now

The offseason for non-playoff teams in South Korean baseball is barely under way, and one of those five teams caught outside looking in has let go of its manager. Will other clubs follow suit? Given the contract situations for the remaining skippers, it doesn't seem likely at the moment. The Kia Tigers, which finished ninth among 10 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) clubs at 58-76-10 (wins-losses-ties), mutually agreed to part ways with Matt Williams on Monday. The American skipper had one yea

Nov. 2, 2021

After injury-plagued season, Rays' Choi Ji-man hoping for healthier 2022 season

Following multiple stints on the injured list (IL) in 2021, Tampa Bay Rays' South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man can't wait for a fresh, not to mention healthy, start to a new season. Choi returned home early Tuesday after completing his sixth major league campaign, and his third full season with the Rays. He was limited to 83 out of 162 games in the regular season. Choi was sidelined at the start of the campaign after knee surgery, and landed on the IL on two separate occasions with groin a

Nov. 2, 2021