Baseball club admits to receiving illegal cash in player trades

South Korean baseball club Nexen Heroes admitted Monday to receiving illegal cash in player transactions last year, confirming long-held suspicions that the financially-strapped team had been dumping players for money. Ko Hyung-wook, general manager of the Seoul-based Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club Nexen Heroes. YonhapKo Hyung-wook, general manager of the Seoul-based Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club, acknowledged that his club had received cash from the NC Dinos and the KT Wiz in s

May 28, 2018

Rangers' Choo Shin-soo becomes top home run hitter from Asia

Texas Rangers' South Korean hitter Choo Shin-soo now has the most home runs among Asian players in Major League Baseball history.Choo made history with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Kansas City Royals at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday (local time), lifting the Rangers to a 4-3 victory.Choo has now hit 176 career home runs, one ahead of former New York Yankees star Hideki Matsui for most long balls by a player from Asia.Choo launched that oppos

May 27, 2018

Baseball league suspends 2 players facing sexual assault allegations

The Korea Baseball Organization on Wednesday suspended two players facing sexual assault allegations without pay, effective immediately.Earlier in the day, police in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, said two teammates for the Seoul-based Nexen Heroes are under investigation on suspicions of sexually assaulting a woman at an Incheon hotel. The Heroes are visiting Incheon for a three-game road series against the SK Wyverns that began Tuesday.Police initially withheld the identities of the acc

May 23, 2018

To treat blister, pitcher turns to urine

To heal a blister on his pitching hand that has been bothering him all year, Nexen Heroes' right-hander Shin Jae-young will go the extra mile -- to the nearest bathroom, perhaps.Add the 2016 Korea Baseball Organization Rookie of the Year to the list of pitchers who will urinate on their hands, as long as it means their blisters will go away. Rich Hill of the Los Angeles Dodgers has been known to do it, and Jameson Taillon of the Pittsburgh Pirates said earlier this week he'd be willing to try it

May 18, 2018

Seasoned veterans trying to keep struggling baseball club afloat

Two seasoned veterans are trying to keep their struggling Korea Baseball Organization club afloat after opening their season on a down note.Samsung Lions' starter Jang Won-sam and outfielder Park Han-yi are two of the few remaining pieces from the club's dynasty years from 2010 to 2015, a six-year span during which they made every Korean Series and won four consecutive championships starting in 2011.But since losing to the Doosan Bears in the 2015 Korean Series, the Lions have fallen on hard tim

May 9, 2018

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin leaves start early with groin injury

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has left his start early with a left groin strain.Ryu lasted just 1 1/3 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on Wednesday (local time), with the Dodgers ahead 1-0.After throwing a 0-1 cutter to Deven Marrero in the bottom of the second, Ryu came up hobbling. After a brief chat with manager Dave Roberts and training staff, Ryu walked off the mound.Ryu tried to stretch his left leg but looked to be in some discomf

May 3, 2018

Blue Jays' Oh tosses perfect inning in relief; Rangers' Choo reaches base 4 times

Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan has bounced back from a tough outing with a perfect inning in relief.Oh struck out two in a clean sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis on Tuesday (local time), as the Jays went on to win 7-4 in 10 innings. This was Oh's second perfect outing in 14 appearances this year.The right-hander lowered his ERA from 2.38 to 2.19. In his previous appearance against the Texas Rangers last Saturday, Oh gave up a solo ho

May 2, 2018

Baseball league to open disciplinary proceedings against club over sign stealing

The nation's top baseball league said Thursday it will open disciplinary proceedings against a club over its sign stealing attempt.The Korea Baseball Organization said it will convene a disciplinary committee meeting, on a date to be determined later, to discuss the LG Twins' admission Wednesday that they tried to steal pitching signs.They got into hot water after Wednesday's road game against the Kia Tigers at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul, when a sheet o

April 19, 2018

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin wins 2nd consecutive start

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has won his second consecutive start, while setting a new season high in strikeouts.Ryu held the San Diego Padres to two runs on three hits over six innings at Petco Park in San Diego on Monday (local time), striking out nine without issuing a walk. Ryu improved to 2-0, though his ERA rose slightly from 2.79 to 2.87. Ryu was relieved by Tony Cingrani to begin the seventh with the Dodgers ahead 6-2. Yasmani Grandal's grand slam in the top of

April 17, 2018

Baseball's perennial doormat sits in unfamiliar position

The Hanwha Eagles, a perennial doormat in the Korea Baseball Organization, find themselves in an unfamiliar position in the 2018 season: third place in the standings.With 10 wins and eight losses, the Eagles are alone in third, two games back of the SK Wyverns and four behind the league-leading Doosan Bears.Here are some facts that illustrate how bad they have been in recent years. By opening the season at 10-8, the Eagles have reached 10 victories before suffering 10 losses for the first time s

April 16, 2018

No sophomore slump for teen sensation in S. Korean baseball

South Korean baseball's teen sensation Lee Jung-hoo has proven immune to the dreaded sophomore slump so far in 2018, as he's putting together yet another productive season following a historic rookie campaign.Through Thursday's action in the Korea Baseball Organization, the Nexen Heroes outfielder and the reigning Rookie of the Year was leading the league with 24 hits in 16 games. He also ranked ninth with a .369 batting average, sixth with six doubles and tied for 14th with four other players a

April 13, 2018

Blue Jays' Oh Seung-hwan tosses scoreless inning in relief vs. O's

Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan has tossed a scoreless inning against the Baltimore Orioles. Oh kept the O's off the board in one inning of relief work at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore on Wednesday (local time). The right-hander entered the game in the seventh inning with the Jays trailing 5-3, replacing Johan Axford.Oh first struck out Adam Jones on a four-seam fast ball. He then allowed a double to Pedro Alvarez and surrendered a single to Chris Davis, which g

April 12, 2018

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin picks up 1st win of '18

The Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin has picked up his first win of the season with six shutout innings against the Oakland Athletics.The left-hander held the Athletics to just one hit at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Tuesday (local time), while striking out eight and walking one. He was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning with the Dodgers leading 4-0, and the Dodgers went on to win by the same score.This was Ryu's second start of the season, and

April 11, 2018

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin has start pushed up due to teammate's illness

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin has had his start pushed up by a day due to a teammate's illness.The Dodgers announced Sunday (local time) that Ryu and Alex Wood would swap their starts for the upcoming two-game series against the Oakland Athletics.Ryu had been scheduled to start Wednesday, a day after Wood. But Ryu will take the mound Tuesday instead, after Wood came down with food poisoning and missed a scheduled bullpen session Sunday. Manager Dave Roberts said Wood wou

April 9, 2018

Blue Jays' Oh Seung-hwan tosses scoreless inning in relief

Toronto Blue Jays' South Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan has added a scoreless inning to his 2018 resume.Oh held the Chicago White Sox off the board in one inning of relief work at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Wednesday (local time). The right-hander entered the game in the seventh inning with the score tied at 3-3. It was Oh's third appearance of the season in four days.He got Tim Anderson to ground out to shortstop Gift Ngoepe for the first out. Adam Engel then lined a single over Ngoepe, but he

April 5, 2018

Next start uncertain for Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin amid days off, rainfall forecast

Los Angeles Dodgers' South Korean starter Ryu Hyun-jin made his first start of the season on Monday (local time) in Arizona. Just when and where he will make his next appearance remains up in the air.The left-hander had been initially scheduled to start Sunday against the San Francisco Giants on the road, following a five-day rest.But manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday in Arizona that Clayton Kershaw, the No. 1 starter, will take the mound Sunday instead, so that he could stay on his regular, f

April 5, 2018

Oh Seung-hwan earns 1st save for Blue Jays

South Korean right-hander Oh Seung-hwan now has a save for the Toronto Blue Jays.Oh tossed a scoreless ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Sunday (local time) to lock down a 7-4 victory. He gave up a hit and struck out a batter for his first save for the new club.The Jays' usual closer, Robert Osuna, had pitched in each of the past two days, and manager John Gibbons summoned Oh, who recorded 39 saves for the St. Louis Cardinals in the last two seasons, to tak

April 2, 2018

Hot-hitting rookie attributes fast start to luck

SUWON -- Kang Baek-ho, a hot-hitting rookie in South Korean baseball, attributes his fast start to mere luck.And given his strong numbers so far in the Korea Baseball Organization, a lot of other hitters would love to be as lucky as the KT Wiz outfielder.Kang, still just 18, is tied for the league lead, with four homers through the first eight games of the season. He is second in RBI, with 11, and is also batting a robust .333.In the KBO's 36-year history, only one rookie, Park Jae-hong of the H

April 2, 2018

Brewers' Choi Ji-man scores winning run off bench; Rangers' Choo Shin-soo gets one hit

Milwaukee Brewers' Choi Ji-man has opened the new major league season by scoring the winning run in extra innings.Choi hit a pinch-hit double and crossed home plate for the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th inning, as the Brewers defeated the San Diego Padres 2-1 at Petco Park in San Diego, California, on Thursday (local time).After reaching a minor league deal with the Brewers in January, Choi was a non-roster invitee in spring training. He played his way onto the Opening Day roster, hitting

March 30, 2018

Koreans enter new major league season with much to prove

South Korean players will enter the 2018 Major League Baseball season with much to prove on the mound and at the plate.Four players have been assured of big league jobs to start the season Friday morning (South Korea time): Los Angeles Dodgers' starter Ryu Hyun-jin, Texas Rangers' outfielder Choo Shin-soo, Toronto Blue Jays' reliever Oh Seung-hwan and Milwaukee Brewers' first baseman/outfielder Choi Ji-man.Choi had been on the bubble all spring as a non-roster invitee. But he played his way onto

March 29, 2018