Reticent KBO manager expresses rare excitement over healthy lineup

On his way to ballpark on Thursday, Lotte Giants' manager Her Mun-hoe walked with an extra spring in his step, knowing that he'd have a fully, healthy lineup for the first time in a month. Second baseman An Chi-hong will return Thursday against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, after missing the past three days with a left hamstring injury. Versatile utility man Jung Hoon came back to the lineup Wednesday after being sidelined for over a month with an oblique injury. Jung went 2-

June 18, 2020

KBO's two worst teams make 1-for-1 trade

The two worst teams in South Korean baseball made a trade on Thursday. The last-place Hanwha Eagles dealt reliever Lee Tae-yang to the No. 9 club SK Wyverns in exchange for outfielder Ro Soo-kwang, the two Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) clubs announced. Lee, 29, is a right-hander who has started and pitched out of the bullpen in eight KBO seasons. In seven relief appearances this season, Lee has a 7.27 ERA without a win-loss record. Lee enjoyed his best season in 2018, when he went 4-2 wi

June 18, 2020

Lotte Giants hold off Kiwoom Heroes to open KBO midweek series

Dixon Machado had three hits, including a key RBI single in the eighth, as the Lotte Giants got past the Kiwoom Heroes 7-5 to open their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) midweek series on the road on Tuesday. Machado, a shortstop getting a breather from the field as the designated hitter in this game, enjoyed his second three-hit game in six days, and has now hit safely in seven of his past eight games. Lotte starter Noh Kyung-eun improved to 3-2 after holding the Heroes to three runs on thr

June 16, 2020

Seeking KBO return, embattled ex-MLB player Kang Jung-ho to hold presser next Tuesday

Former major league player Kang Jung-ho, hoping for a return to the South Korean league despite a checkered past marred by multiple drunk driving arrests, will meet with the media next week, his agency said Tuesday. Leeco Sports Agency said Kang will hold a press conference at a Seoul hotel next Tuesday for his first public appearance since returning from the United States on June 5. Per the government mandate on all international arrivals during the coronavirus pandemic, Kang remains in a tw

June 16, 2020

More relaxed and confident, NC Dinos' Aaron Altherr emerges from slump as lethal force in bottom of lineup

What's your image of a baseball hitter near the bottom of a lineup? Maybe it's a light-hitting, defense-first catcher. Or it's a light-hitting, speed-first, defense-second middle infielder. Or it could be an aging corner outfielder holding down that spot just because someone has to. The NC Dinos, the best team in South Korean baseball so far this year, have the luxury of employing a strapping center fielder in the lower third of their batting order, a former major leaguer with a swing so compa

June 16, 2020

Baseball player set to take another crack at pitching

All he wants to do is to pitch again. Kang Ji-kwang of the SK Wyverns will take his second crack at pitching in the pros, his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club announced Monday. His season debut on the mound will come in the Futures League, the KBO's minor league, as early as Tuesday, the Wyverns added. The 29-year-old was a hard-throwing high school pitcher who converted to an infielder after getting drafted by the LG Twins in 2009. He made his KBO debut with the Nexen (currently Kiwoom

June 15, 2020

With veterans set to return, Hanwha Eagles looking to take off in KBO

Funny how baseball works sometimes. As of Sunday morning, the Hanwha Eagles were mired in an 18-game losing streak, tied for longest in the history of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), which began in 1982. By the evening, though, the Eagles emerged with two straight victories, the longest active winning streak in the league. The Eagles ended the slide with a 7-6 victory over the Doosan Bears at home in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. It was a continuation of a game suspended by r

June 15, 2020

KBO's Hanwha Eagles snap record-tying losing streak at 18

DAEJEON -- Start spreading the news: the Hanwha Eagles have finally won a game. The Eagles snapped their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) record-tying losing skid at 18 games on Sunday with a 7-6 walk-off victory over the Doosan Bears at home in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. Noh Tae-hyoung delivered the game-winning single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Eagles their first victory since May 22. The Eagles and the Bears picked up this game from the bottom of th

June 14, 2020

Hanwha Eagles lose 18th straight to tie all-time KBO record

The Hanwha Eagles have tied a South Korean baseball record that no team wants to match: the longest losing streak. The Eagles fell to the Doosan Bears 5-2 on Friday for their 18th consecutive loss, which put them in a tie with the 1985 Sammi Superstars for the longest futilty streak in the history of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The Eagles, who dropped to 7-27, will try to avoid taking sole possession of the dubious record Saturday against the same Bears at Hanwha Life Eagles Park

June 12, 2020

KBO player with fever tests negative for coronavirus

A South Korean baseball player who exhibited fever earlier in the week has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. The Lotte Giants said Friday their catcher Jeong Bo-keun took a test for COVID-19 the previous day after showing fever, and the result came back negative 24 hours later. Jeong was immediately dropped from the active roster on Thursday. The Giants said Jeong also had diarrhea and showed symptoms commonly associated with enteritis, but because he also had a fever, they didn't w

June 12, 2020

Bitter 16: Hanwha Eagles drop 16th consecutive game in KBO

Sweet 16, it wasn't.    The Hanwha Eagles lost their 16th consecutive game in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) on Wednesday, as the home team Lotte Giants manhandled them 12-2 at Sajik Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul.    The Eagles are now 7-25, dead last in the 10-team league, while the Giants have now won five in a row to move to 16-15.    The Eagles are now tied with the 2002 Lotte Giants and the 2010 Kia Tigers for the third-longest

June 10, 2020

KBO's premier contact hitter embracing data to improve power

DAEGU -- Go down the list of slugging percentage leaders in South Korean baseball this season, and a surprising name will stick out in the No. 6 spot. Positioned among some burly power hitters is Lee Jung-hoo of the Kiwoom Heroes, who has never hit more than six home runs or slugged better than .477 in any of his three previous seasons. After 31 games in the 2020 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, Lee already has five home runs and is slugging at a .618 clip. He has a higher slugging p

June 10, 2020

American pitcher dedicates 1st KBO win to late father

BUSAN -- It took him three starts, and Lotte Giants' right-hander Adrian Sampson was finally able to dedicate his first South Korean win to his late father Tuesday night. Sampson scattered nine hits and allowed three earned runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Hanwha Eagles, helping the Giants to a 9-3 victory at Sajik Stadium in Busan, 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul. It was Sampson's third start in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), coming about a month after his father, David, succumbed

June 10, 2020

KBO's career saves leader eligible to return from gambling suspension Tuesday

Oh Seung-hwan, the all-time saves leader in South Korean baseball, made his long-awaited return to home soil on Tuesday with one inning of relief work. Oh pitched a scoreless eighth inning for the Samsung Lions in their 5-3 loss to the Kiwoom Heroes at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul. It was Oh's first Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) appearance since Oct. 2, 2013, a span of 2,442 days. The 37-year-old right-hander pitched for the Lions from 2005 to 2013,

June 9, 2020

Last-place KBO club demotes 10 players to minors

Mired in last place in South Korean baseball during a 14-game losing streak, the Hanwha Eagles have demoted 10 players to the minor league. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club made the drastic move Monday evening, a few hours after naming their minor league manager Choi Won-ho as the interim skipper. Former manager Han Yong-duk resigned Sunday night after the Eagles fell to the NC Dinos 8-2 for their 14th consecutive loss. Choi had earlier reshuffled his coaching staff. "I felt l

June 9, 2020

Grounded Eagles: How KBO's worst team has lost 14 straight

These Eagles clearly aren't flying free. The Hanwha Eagles have lost their past 14 straight games in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), and their manager Han Yong-duk resigned following the most recent defeat Sunday. Before Saturday's game, the Eagles relieved five coaches on Han's staff of their duties and replaced them with minor league instructors. Then after Han's departure, they reshuffled the staff while naming their minor league skipper Choi Won-ho as the interim manager Monday. L

June 8, 2020

NC Dinos' ace Koo Chang-mo named KBO's top player for May

NC Dinos' starter Koo Chang-mo has been named South Korean baseball's top player for May. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Monday that Koo earned the first Player of the Month award for the 2020 season, after going 4-0 with a 0.51 ERA and 38 strikeouts in five starts during May. Koo tied Eric Jokisch of the Kiwoom Heroes for wins in May and led the league in ERA and strikeouts. This was Koo's first monthly player award in his five-year career. Koo earned 27 out of 30 votes cas

June 8, 2020

KBO's Hanwha Eagles name interim manager during 14-game slide

Mired in a 14-game losing streak, South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles on Monday promoted their minor league skipper to their interim manager. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team said Choi Won-ho will take over from Han Yong-duk, who resigned Sunday following the Eagles' 14th straight loss. The Eagles are now 7-23, dead last in the 10-team league. This will be Choi's first managerial stint in the KBO. The former pitcher had served as a minor league pitching coach for the LG Twins a

June 8, 2020

KBO club manager resigns after 14th straight loss

Hanwha Eagles' manager Han Yong-duk resigned from his post Sunday, moments after his Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team lost its 14th consecutive game. The Eagles fell to the NC Dinos 8-2 at home in Daejeon, 160 kilometers south of Seoul, to tie their franchise mark for the longest losing slide. The worst losing skid in KBO history belongs to the now-defunct Sammi Superstars, which lost 18 in a row in 1985. The Eagles said Han told the team he would step down following Sunday's loss. T

June 7, 2020

After 2 wins, rookie KBO starter returns to minors to continue learning

After going 2-0 in his first two career starts in South Korea's top baseball league, Samsung Lions' left-hander Heo Yun-dong is headed back to the minors. And the 18-year-old Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) rookie is far from upset at the demotion, which, at first glance, may seem counterintuitive. Heo won both of his first two starts, including Wednesday against the LG Twins in Seoul. Why mess with success? "Whether it's my breaking ball command or fastball velocity, I still have so m

June 4, 2020