Rival right-handers to face each other to open S. Korean baseball championship series

Two right-handers will renew their regular season rivalry to open the South Korean baseball championship series on Tuesday. The NC Dinos and the Doosan Bears, two contestants of the Korean Series, each announced their Game 1 starters at Monday's media day. Right-hander Drew Rucinski will take the mound for the Dinos, the regular season champions who earned a bye to the Korean Series. The Bears will counter with right-hander Raul Alcantara. They finished third in the regular season and had to

Nov. 16, 2020

Wiz beat Bears to stay alive in KBO postseason

The KT Wiz will live to see at least another day in the South Korean baseball postseason. The Wiz defeated the Doosan Bears 5-2 to stave off elimination in the best-of-five penultimate round in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason on Thursday. Starter William Cuevas fired eight strong innings, and the Wiz broke out for five runs with two outs in the top of the eighth inning for the victory at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. This was the Wiz's first postseason win in franchise history, w

Nov. 12, 2020

Proud second baseman has no regrets about retiring after 16 years in KBO

To hear Jeong Keun-woo tell it, his 16-year career in South Korean baseball has exceeded even his own expectations -- the way he performed, how much love his fans showed him and all the honors that he won. Now at 38, Jeong, considered one of the greatest second basemen in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history, has no second thoughts over hanging up his cleats. "It feels like yesterday I was crying tears of joy after getting drafted by a pro team," Jeong said Wednesday during his

Nov. 11, 2020

Defending KBO champions run into postseason debutants in penultimate round

In their march toward a second straight South Korean baseball championship, the Doosan Bears will be running into the Cinderella team of the season in the penultimate stage of the postseason. The KT Wiz, first-time participants in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason after joining the league in 2015, earned a bye into the best-of-five second round. They put up the second-best record in the regular season. The Bears, as No. 3 seed, had to play an extra round, and knocked off the LG T

Nov. 6, 2020

Two starters for Bears shortlisted for KBO's top player award for Oct.

The top two starting pitchers for the Doosan Bears have been shortlisted for the top player award for October in South Korean baseball. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced five candidates for the Player of the Month award for October, the final month of the regular season. Right-handers Chris Flexen and Raul Alcantara, the one-two punch at the top of the Bears' rotation, headline the list. Flexen, who'd missed time earlier in the year with injury, capped off his first KBO season w

Nov. 2, 2020

Interim manager for KBO club Wyverns resigns over team's poor performance

The interim manager for the South Korean baseball club SK Wyverns has resigned, leaving a leadership vacuum for a team coming off its worst season in 20 years. The Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Saturday bench coach Park Kyung-oan, who served as interim skipper in the absence of ailing Youm Kyoung-youb, expressed his intent to resign following their season finale from the previous night. The club accepted his resignation Saturday. Youm fell ill and briefly lost con

Oct. 31, 2020

KBO's SK Wyverns re-sign infielder, acquire 2 new pitchers

The SK Wyverns wasted no time filling up their foreign player quota for next season, as they retained a veteran Canadian infielder and newly acquired two pitchers less than 24 hours after finishing up a disappointing 2020 campaign. The Wyverns announced Saturday, one day after their final Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season game, that they have re-signed first baseman Jamie Romak for his fifth season. Then they added right-handers Wilmer Font and Artie Lewicki to their staff. The

Oct. 31, 2020

KT Wiz slugger Rojas Jr. comes up one category shy of KBO Triple Crown

He gave it a good run, but Mel Rojas Jr. of the KT Wiz has ultimately come up short of winning a South Korean baseball batting Triple Crown. The 30-year-old outfielder led the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in the regular season with 47 home runs and 135 RBIs. He built such substantial leads in those two categories down the stretch that the only suspense was whether he would also win the batting title and take home the Triple Crown. The best Rojas Jr. can hope for now is to finish second i

Oct. 31, 2020

Bears defeat Heroes in final KBO regular season game

Starter Raul Alcantara tossed eight shutout innings for his league-leading 20th win, as the Doosan Bears blanked the Kiwoom Heroes 2-0 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul to close out their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season on Friday. Alcantara lost his perfect game bid with two outs in the sixth inning, while allowing just two hits and striking out five to finish the season at 20-2 with a 2.54 ERA. The Bears scored a run in each of the first two innings, and Alcantara made tha

Oct. 30, 2020

KBO club manager resigns after health scares

A South Korean baseball club manager has resigned after experiencing health scares amid a disappointing season. The SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said Friday that Youm Kyoung-youb has decided to step down after two seasons on the bench. The 52-year-old had one more year left in his contract. Youm fell ill and briefly lost consciousness during a game on June 25. Doctors later pointed to excessive stress, lack of sleep and poor diet as causes for Youm's health problems. Be

Oct. 30, 2020

Rays, Choi Ji-man bow out vs. Dodgers in World Series

The first trip to the World Series for the Tampa Bay Rays' South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man has ended with a bitter defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Choi went 0-for-2 with a walk in the Rays' 3-1 loss to the Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Tuesday (local time). The Dodgers took the best-of-seven series 4-2 to capture their first championship since 1988. The Rays, in their second trip to the World Series, came up short in trying to win t

Oct. 28, 2020

KT Wiz manager signs 3-year extension after guiding club to 1st KBO postseason

KT Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul has signed a three-year extension with the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club after leading them to their first-ever postseason. The Wiz announced Monday that Lee has agreed to a new three-year deal worth 2 billion won ($1.78 million), with 500 million won in annual salary and a signing bonus of 500 million won. Lee's current deal was to run through 2021, but the Wiz wasted no time in giving him extra years. The Wiz, who joined the KBO in 2015, are enjoying th

Oct. 26, 2020

Rays' Choi Ji-man pulled back from pinch-hitting duty in World Series loss

Tampa Bay Rays' Choi Ji-man watched as his club got pushed to the brink in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The South Korean first baseman was summoned for a pinch-hitting duty in the bottom eighth, only to be pulled back immediately against a new reliever, as the Rays fell to the Dodgers 4-2 in Game 5 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday (local time). The Dodgers lead the series 3-2 and can capture their first championship in 32 years in Game

Oct. 26, 2020

KBO postseason games to be shown live on Lotte Cinema screens

Baseball fans who miss out on postseason tickets next month will be able to watch games live on select big screens across the country. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Monday that it has reached an agreement with Lotte Cinema, one of South Korea's top multiplex chains, to screen live postseason games at 10 locations nationwide. Websites and official apps for both the KBO and Lotte Cinema will provide further details on screening times and ticketing. The postseason begins Sunday

Oct. 26, 2020

KBO clubs jostling for playoff position as regular season nears end

The 2020 regular season in South Korean baseball will wrap up this week, with four of the five postseason-bound clubs expected to jostle for position until the very end. The NC Dinos clinched the No. 1 seed in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason last Saturday. Four other teams -- the LG Twins, KT Wiz, Kiwoom Heroes and Doosan Bears -- have also secured playoff spots, but their final positions are still to be determined. The Dinos will advance directly to the Korean Series. The No.

Oct. 26, 2020

Rays' Choi Ji-man draws 2 walks off the bench in wild World Series victory

Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays came off the bench to work two walks in his club's dramatic World Series victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Choi also scored a run in his two trips to the plate, as the Rays walked off on the Dodgers 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth of Game 4 of the World Series at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday (local time). The best-of-seven series is now tied at 2-2. Game 5 is back at the same ballpark at 7:08 p.m. Sunday in Arlington, or 9:08 a.m. Monda

Oct. 25, 2020

Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun sees room for improvement despite strong rookie campaign

At first glance, South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun enjoyed a solid first season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Following 13 largely successful years with the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), Kim, who inked a two-year deal worth $8 million last December, was a perfect 3-0 with an excellent 1.62 ERA in eight appearances, including seven starts. But in a season disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, Kim admitted he wasn't even in his best shape. That he still managed to post t

Oct. 23, 2020

Rays' Choi Ji-man gets 1st career World Series hit in win over Dodgers

Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays has become the first South Korean with a hit in the World Series, while also helping his team's victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers with some heads-up baserunning. Choi went 1-for-3 and scored twice as the Rays beat the Dodgers 6-4 in Game 2 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday (local time). The best-of-seven series is now even at 1-1, and the teams will be back at the same stadium for Game 3 at 7:08 p.m. Friday in Arlington, or 9:08 a.m. Satu

Oct. 22, 2020

KBO veteran Kim Tae-kyun retires after 18 seasons with Hanwha Eagles

Kim Tae-kyun, one of the most productive hitters in South Korean baseball history, has decided to call it a career after 18 seasons with one franchise. The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Wednesday that Kim, 38, will retire at the end of the season. Kim is scheduled to hold a press conference before a home game against the Kia Tigers at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, on Thursday. The regular season ends on Oct. 30. The team w

Oct. 21, 2020

KBO star Mel Rojas Jr. to be tested for COVID-19

SUWON -- A leading MVP candidate in South Korean baseball will be tested for the novel coronavirus later Tuesday after developing a high fever. The KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization said Tuesday that slugging outfielder Mel Rojas Jr. will undergo a test for COVID-19, with the result expected sometime Wednesday. Rojas Jr. was ruled out of Tuesday's home game against the LG Twins at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, after his fever reached 37.2 degrees Celsius earlier i

Oct. 20, 2020