Choi Ji-man, Rays chasing 'firsts' in World Series vs. Dodgers

When their 2020 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers begins in a Texas bubble this week, the Tampa Bay Rays and their South Korean first baseman, Choi Ji-man, will also start their pursuit of "firsts." As in: the Rays, who began play in 1998, will chase their first-ever World Series title. And whatever Choi does at the plate and on the field will be a first for a South Korean position player. Choi is the fourth South Korean to reach the World Series but the first batter to mak

Oct. 20, 2020

KBO's budding star backs teammate's MLB bid, dreams of own big league future

Whenever questions about his potential jump to Major League Baseball (MLB) come up, Kiwoom Heroes' shortstop Kim Ha-seong says he would rather not discuss the matter until after the season. Kim's Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club is expected to post the 25-year-old for big league clubs this winter. The Heroes promised him as much last year. Kim's chances of landing a deal through posting and his possible destination have been a subject of speculation on both sides of the Pacific. But with

Oct. 19, 2020

Choi Ji-man collects 2 hits as Rays advance to World Series

The Tampa Bay Rays and their South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man are World Series bound. Choi went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored a late insurance run, helping the Rays beat the Houston Astros 4-2 in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) at Petco Park in San Diego on Saturday (local time). Choi is now poised to become the first South Korean batter to play in the World Series. Three South Koreans who have been there before Choi have all been pitchers: Kim Byung-hyun (2001

Oct. 18, 2020

Choi Ji-man strikes out as pinch hitter in Rays' 3rd straight ALCS loss

Choi Ji-man of the Tampa Bay Rays struck out in his only plate appearance as his club suffered its third straight loss in the American League Champions Series (ALCS). With the South Korean first baseman benched, the Rays fell to the Houston Astros 7-4 in Game 6 of the ALCS at Petco Park in San Diego on Friday (local time). After winning the first three games of the best-of-seven series, the Rays have dropped three in a row to be pushed into the do-or-die Game 7. The series-deciding game will b

Oct. 17, 2020

Choi Ji-man homers, reaches base 4 times in ALCS loss

Choi Ji-man delivered a key home run for the Tampa Bay Rays in a postseason losing cause, as the American League Championship Series (ALCS) got extended by another game. Choi belted a game-tying solo home run in the top eighth against the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series at Petco Park in San Diego on Thursday (local time), only to see the Astros walk it off for a 4-3 victory in the bottom ninth on Carlos Correa's solo shot. Choi went 2-for-2 with two walks, but the Rays hav

Oct. 16, 2020

Top club's struggles add intrigue to KBO pennant race

The already intense pennant race in South Korean baseball has become even more interesting in recent days, with the unexpected struggles of the top-ranked NC Dinos. The Dinos have dropped a season-worst six games in a row, during which they've been shut out twice. Their lead atop the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) standings has been cut to 4.5 games over the KT Wiz, with both clubs having 13 games remaining entering Wednesday. Things are as tight as they get from there. The Wiz and the fift

Oct. 14, 2020

Choi Ji-man sits as Rays take commanding ALCS lead

The Tampa Bay Rays have moved within a win of reaching the World Series, with their South Korean first baseman Choi Ji-man watching from the bench. The Rays defeated the Houston Astros 5-2 to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the American League Champions Series (ALCS) at Petco Park in San Diego on Tuesday (local time). In Game 3, Choi was held out of the starting lineup even though the Astros had right-hander Jose Urquidy starting. Yandy Diaz took Choi's spot both in the lineup and on the field,

Oct. 14, 2020

Battle for most pitching wins going down to wire

Say what you will about wins for pitchers -- how it's an overrated stat and how pitchers have less control of their own destiny than once thought. The term "20-game winner" still has a nice ring to it and carries cachet. In the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) this season, two hurlers are going for that milestone, and their battle to lead the league in the category is going down to the wire. Raul Alcantara of the Doosan Bears threw seven shutout innings against the Hanwha Eagles on

Oct. 14, 2020

KBO commissioner declines 2nd term

Chung Un-chan, commissioner of the Korea Baseball Organization, has decided not to seek a second term. Following its board of directors meeting, the KBO announced Tuesday that Chung, whose three-year term ends in December, will not pursue another term at the helm of the country's professional baseball. The board, made up of presidents from 10 KBO clubs, decided to nominate former Doosan Bears interim owner Chung Ji-taik as the new commissioner. The KBO's board of governors, comprising owners o

Oct. 13, 2020

Fans set to return to KBO games as pennant race intensifies

As the South Korean baseball league enters its third-to-last week of the regular season, stadium gates will open back up for fans who have been itching to return to seats. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) clubs will play their final two three-game sets this week, with makeup games of rained-out affairs to follow from Oct. 20 to 30. They received some welcoming bit of news Sunday, as the government eased social distancing restrictions to allow sports teams to start playing in front of fans

Oct. 12, 2020

Under eased social distancing rules, baseball league to reopen stadiums on Tuesday

With social distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic eased across the nation, the top baseball league here will reopen stadium gates on Tuesday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) made the announcement on Sunday, hours after the government decided to lower the level of social distancing restrictions from Level 2 to Level 1, the lowest in the three-tier system. The government said teams could admit crowds of up to 30 percent of their stadium capacity. But to maintain sufficient dist

Oct. 11, 2020

Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun comes home following successful rookie campaign

  He has come home again. After a whirlwind but outstanding rookie season with the St. Louis Cardinals, South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun returned home Wednesday, four days after his club was eliminated from the first round of the postseason. Kim will be reunited with his family after serving his mandatory 14-day quarantine. Kim's wife and two children greeted him at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, though they couldn't get close to one another because of quarantine re

Oct. 7, 2020

He does it again: Rays' Choi Ji-man homers off Yankees' Gerrit Cole in ALDS

Choi Ji-man hits Gerrit Cole like few others in Major League Baseball (MLB). Choi, the South Korean first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays, blasted a two-run homer off the New York Yankees' ace in Game 1 of their American League Division Series (ALDS) at Petco Park in San Diego on Monday (local time). It was Choi's fourth career home run and 10th hit in 19 career at-bats against Cole, including postseasons. Choi also has 10 RBIs against the right-handed fireballer. The ball left Choi's bat at 1

Oct. 6, 2020

[Newsmaker] Ryu Hyun-jin's successful 1st season with Blue Jays ends with postseason elimination

What has largely been a successful season as a new ace for the Toronto Blue Jays has ended on a bitter note for Ryu Hyun-jin. Ryu was torched for seven runs on eight hits in his season-low 1 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 2 of the American League wild-card series at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Wednesday (local time). The Blue Jays lost 8-2 and were eliminated from the best-of-three series 2-0. They lost the opener 3-1 on Tuesday. This was the Blue Jays' first

Oct. 1, 2020

S. Korean baseball fans thankful for early morning MLB postseason

South Korean baseball fans will have a lot to thank for this week. On the morning of Thursday, which also happens to be Chuseok, or the Korean Thanksgiving, two South Korean pitchers will start postseason games for their respective clubs. Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays will be on the hill for Game 2 of the American League (AL) Wild Card Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, starting at 5 a.m. Korean time at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. One hour later, Kim Kwang-hyun of the

Sept. 29, 2020

Rangers' Choo Shin-soo bunts for single in final at-bat of 2020

If indeed this was his final at-bat for the Texas Rangers, South Korean veteran Choo Shin-soo has gone out in the only way he knows how: playing hard. With his family watching from the stands, Choo came off the injured list and put a bunt down for a single against the Houston Astros at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday (local time). Choo was lifted for a pinch runner after spraining his left ankle on that play. The 38-year-old outfielder/designated hitter had been out since Sept

Sept. 28, 2020

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin exorcises Yankees demon in crucial victory

When the team needed him the most, Ryu Hyun-jin rose to the occasion. With the Toronto Blue Jays a win away from clinching their first postseason in four years, Ryu threw seven scoreless innings for a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York, on Thursday (local time). In the process, Ryu also exorcised his personal demons against the Yankees. It was his first career win over the Bronx Bombers in four career starts. In three previous outings, Ryu had gone 0-2 w

Sept. 25, 2020

Blue Jays' Ryu Hyun-jin takes loss despite quality start vs. Phillies

Ryu Hyun-jin couldn't stop the bleeding for the Toronto Blue Jays, taking a tough-luck loss despite throwing a quality start against the Philadelphia Phillies. Ryu fell to 4-2 after giving up two runs on six hits in six innings against the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Saturday (local time), with most of the damage being done in the fifth inning. The bullpen took over to begin the bottom seventh with the Blue Jays down 2-1, and they went on to lose by 3-1 after managing jus

Sept. 20, 2020

Ex-major leaguer White out for KBO season with broken hand

The South Korean stint for former major leaguer Tyler White has ended prematurely due to a hand injury. The SK Wyverns of the Korea Baseball Organization said Friday that White has been ruled out for eight weeks with a broken bone in his left hand. With the regular season set to end on Nov. 2 and the Wyverns out of playoff contention, White is done for the year after just nine games with the Wyverns. White was hit in the left hand by a pitch from NC Dinos' starter Drew Rucinski in Thursday's

Sept. 18, 2020

Cardinals' Kim Kwang-hyun at efficient best in impressive return from ailment

In his young major league career so far, the St. Louis Cardinals' South Korean starter Kim Kwang-hyun has been an efficient pitcher, someone who pitches to contact after soft contact without overextending himself. And his latest start, against the Milwaukee Brewers in Milwaukee on Monday (local time), was the perfect encapsulation of qualities that have made Kim such a reliable starter in 2020. Kim held the Brewers to three hits over seven shutout innings, while striking out six. Both the inn

Sept. 15, 2020