KBO, MLB in talks over posting fee cap

Major League Baseball (MLB) has proposed a cap on the amount a big league club can bid on South Korean players in posting, baseball officials said Friday.The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) and MLB have been having discussions on the $8 million limit on players who are eligible for posting, according to a KBO official."The MLB Commissioner's Office recently suggested putting a cap on the posting fee," the official said. "They've come up with $8 million, but nothing has been decided. We'll soon

March 18, 2016

Cardinals' Oh touched for 1st home run of spring

Oh Seung-hwan of the St. Louis Cardinals was touched for his first home run of the spring Thursday against the Detroit Tigers.The South Korean reliever allowed a run on three hits in 1 1/3 innings as the Tigers defeated the Cardinals 5-4 at Joker Merchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.Oh, working on a string of 4 1/3 shutout innings, took over from starter Carlos Martinez with two outs in third and retired Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a groundout.Then after getting one out in the fourth, the South Ko

March 18, 2016

SK beats Nexen in first KBO preseason game at new dome

The SK Wyverns defeated the host Nexen Heroes 6-4 in the first Korea Baseball Organization preseason game at the new Gocheok Sky Dome on Tuesday.SK outfielder Kim Kang-min hit a grand slam for the first professional home run at the Seoul-based dome, as the Wyverns rallied from a 2-0 deficit to spoil the party for the Heroes.The Heroes got off to a promising start. Park Dong-won drove in Nexen's first run with a single in the bottom second. And Yoon Suk-min's RBI double to right-center in the bot

March 15, 2016

First-year import sees 'opportunity' on depleted KBO club

hen the Nexen Heroes signed American outfielder Danny Dorn last November, it was with expectations that he would add some pop to a lineup about to part ways with big bats.First baseman Park Byung-ho would leave the Korea Baseball Organization club via posting to sign with the Minnesota Twins in December, after hitting 53 homers in 2015. Outfielder Yoo Han-joon, who set a career high with 23 home runs, left Nexen as a free agent to sign with the KT Wiz three days after Dorn's signing.Their absenc

March 15, 2016

Nexen Heroes enter 1st season at new park with altered game plan

The Nexen Heroes boasted the most potent offense in the Korea Baseball Organization last year, as the league leader in both runs scored and home runs.And as they move into a new, more cavernous stadium, sans some big mashers from recent seasons, the Heroes are approaching the 2016 season with an altered game plan: after launching 203 home runs and scoring 904 runs in 144 games last year, they will stop swinging for the fences and will start trying to manufacture runs.The Seoul-based club will no

March 15, 2016

Hanwha Eagles sign new foreign pitcher

The South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles announced they signed right-hander Alex Maestri on Tuesday.The Korea Baseball Organization team disclosed the terms of the deal in Japanese yen: Maestri, who'd pitched for the Japanese club Orix Buffaloes the past four seasons, will make 20 million yen ($175,740) in salary and receive 30 million yen in a signing bonus.The native of Cesena, Italy, became the first Italian-born pitcher to be signed by a big league club in 2006, when the Chicago Cubs acq

March 15, 2016

Cards' Oh strikes out Twins' Park in all-Korean showdown

The all-time South Korean saves leader struck out the country's home run king in their first U.S. showdown on Monday.St. Louis Cardinals reliever Oh Seung-hwan and Minnesota Twins designated hitter/first baseman Park Byung-ho faced each other with two outs in the top of the sixth inning at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Oh, the usually stoic pitcher nicknamed "Stone Buddha" for his unflappable nature, flashed a little grin as Park came to the plate. The right-hander then got to work.Oh,

March 15, 2016

Orioles' Kim Hyun-soo hits safely in 3rd consecutive game

After going hitless in his first seven spring training games, Kim Hyun-soo of the Baltimore Orioles has now hit safely in three straight games.The South Korean, batting sixth and playing left field, went 1-for-2 with an RBI against the Minnesota Twins at CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers, Florida, on Sunday.He drove in the Orioles' third run of the first inning with a sacrifice fly off Minnesota starter Ricky Nolasco.After grounding out to second in the third, Kim hit a two-out single in

March 14, 2016

Minnesota Twins' Park Byung-ho extends spring hitting streak to 5

Minnesota Twins' Park Byung-ho extended his spring hitting streak to five games on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles in Florida.Batting cleanup as designated hitter, Park went 2-for-3 at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Florida, to raise his batting average to .364 (8-for-22).Park hit two singles in his first two at-bats for his second multi-hit game of spring training. He flied out to center in the sixth and was lifted for pinch hitter Mitch Garver in the seventh.Park is in his first U.S. spr

March 13, 2016

Orioles' Kim Hyun-soo ends drought, picks up first U.S. hit, RBI

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Kim Hyun-soo ended a long drought at the plate to pick up his first U.S. hit and RBI in preseason action Thursday.Kim snapped out of a 0-for-23 funk with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh against the New York Yankees left-hander James Pazos in Sarasota, Florida.Kim's RBI made it 4-2 Yankees, and the O's scored two more runs in the same inning to draw the game even. It ended in a 4-4 tie.Kim ended the day 1-for-3 with an RBI, and he was also hit by a

March 11, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho homers for 2nd consecutive game

The Minnesota Twins' Park Byung-ho homered for his second straight spring game on Tuesday in Florida.The four-time South Korean home run king blasted a solo shot off Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Gavin Floyd in the second inning of their Grapefruit League game in Dunedin, Florida.It was Park's second home run in as many games. He launched a grand slam on Sunday and had a day off Monday before returning to action against the Jays.Park's home run cut the Twins' deficit to 5-1, but Minnesota went

March 9, 2016

Mariners‘ Lee Dae-ho belts first home run in U.S.

Lee Dae-ho of the Seattle Mariners belted his first home run in the United States in preseason action on Monday.Lee hit a solo shot off Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Matt Reynolds in the bottom eighth of their Cactus League game in Peoria, Arizona.Lee replaced Adam Lind at first base to start the sixth inning and took Lind's fifth spot in the order. Then in his lone at bat, Lee took a 1-2 offering from Reynolds over the left field wall to cut the Mariners' deficit to 10-7.He turned a double p

March 8, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho hits grand slam for first U.S. homer

The Minnesota Twins' Park Byung-ho hit a grand slam for his first home run in the United States on Sunday.Batting sixth, the Korean slugger crushed one off Tampa Bay Ray's right-hander Jake Odorizzi in the first inning of their preseason game in Port Charlotte, Florida. The Twins won the game 5-4.It was the first long ball of the spring for Park, who joined the Twins on a four-year, $12 million deal after they won the posting bid for him with a $12.85 million bid. Park had been one of the most f

March 7, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho picks up first hit, RBI in preseason

Park Byung-ho of the Minnesota Twins picked up his first preseason hit and RBI in Florida on Thursday.Park singled home a run in the bottom of the second inning against the Boston Red Sox starter Rick Porcello. It was Park's second preseason start in as many days.Park went hitless in his next two plate appearances and ended the game 1-for-3. The Twins lost the game 6-5 in Fort Myers.On Wednesday, Park, who signed with the Twins in the offseason, went 0-for-3 against the Red Sox, striking out thr

March 4, 2016

Park goes hitless, Oh tosses 1 perfect inning in MLB preseason debuts

The Minnesota Twins' Park Byung-ho struck out three times in three at-bats in his first preseason appearance in Major League Baseball in Florida on Wednesday.Elsewhere in the Sunshine State, St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Oh Seung-hwan, another South Korean readying for his first big league season, tossed one perfect inning in his U.S. debut.Park, who joined the Twins via posting in December, made his first start for the Twins as a designated hitter batting sixth against the Boston Red Sox in

March 3, 2016

Twins' Park Byung-ho sees 'nothing straight' in 1st live batting practice

After facing live pitching for the first time since joining the Minnesota Twins, South Korean slugger Park Byung-ho said Saturday he didn't see anything straight at the plate.The Twins had their first full workout here in Florida, and Park, who signed with the Twins earlier in the offseason after getting posted by his South Korean club Nexen Heroes, faced actual pitching for the first time since competing at the Premier 12 tournament in November.And his impression: There was "nothing clean.""I a

Feb. 28, 2016

Cardinals' Oh Seung-hwan to stick to trusted arsenal

Having thrown live batting practice for the first time with the St. Louis Cardinals, South Korean reliever Oh Seung-hwan said Thursday he will mostly stick to his tried and tested arsenal in the majors.Oh faced hitters for the first time Wednesday to solid reviews. Infielder Greg Garcia said Oh's ball "was jumping" and the right-hander didn't offer up anything straight.Oh, a lights-out closer in both South Korea and Japan for a decade before joining the Cards this offseason, built his career mos

Feb. 26, 2016

Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin pleased with breaking pitches in long toss

Recovering from a May shoulder operation that ended his 2015 season before it began, Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin said Thursday he was pleased with breaking pitches that he threw in his long toss.At Camelback Ranch, the site of the Dodgers' spring training in Arizona, Ryu said he mixed in curves, changeups and sliders with his fastball."The spins weren't too bad," Ryu said with a smile in the club house while icing down the surgically repaired left shoulder.Ryu, who didn't throw

Feb. 26, 2016

Orioles' Kim Hyun-soo to enjoy his first MLB season

In South Korea, Kim Hyun-soo is called "Hitting Machine" for his consistent high-level performance in batting. The Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball (MLB), which Kim recently joined under a two-year contract worth $7 million, now also introduce the 28-year-old outfielder with the nickname "Machine" on their website. Kim, who posted his best power numbers at 28 home runs and 121 RBIs with the Doosan Bears in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) last year, said Wednesday he wants to keep

Feb. 25, 2016

After strong rookie year, Pirates' Kang Jung-ho says he has more

By most accounts, South Korean infielder Kang Jung-ho had a successful rookie year with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2015.The first position player to jump from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to Major League Baseball (MLB), Kang batted.287/.355/.461 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs, en route to finishing third in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. Had it not been for a season-ending leg injury in September, Kang, the NL Rookie of the Month for July, surely would have put up better n

Feb. 24, 2016