Choo Shin-soo becomes oldest position player in KBO history

Former major league All-Star Choo Shin-soo became the oldest position player to appear in a game in the South Korean league Wednesday. At 42 years and 11 days old, Choo started as designated hitter for the SSG Landers against the KT Wiz at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, just south of Seoul, in their Korea Baseball Organization regular-season game. Choo moved past former Lotte Giants player Felix Jose, who was 42 years and eight days old when he played in his final KBO game on May 10, 2007. Jose also home

July 24, 2024

KBO club manager welcomes new pitch-calling device

Kiwoom Heroes manager Hong Won-ki said Tuesday he welcomed the introduction of the new pitch-calling device that he feels will help speed up games. The Korea Baseball Organization has distributed PitchCom transmitters and receivers to all 10 clubs, and they're available for use starting with Tuesday's games. Catchers can use the transmitter to give pitch signals to pitchers instead of using conventional finger signs, and pitchers will be able to listen to the call via the receiver worn

July 16, 2024

KBO's Landers reinstate injured pitcher, cut ties with temporary replacement

The South Korean baseball club SSG Landers reinstated pitcher Roenis Elias from the injured list Tuesday, while terminating a deal with his temporary replacement in a corresponding move. The Landers said Elias, who had been out since May 18 with an oblique injury, will start against the NC Dinos on Wednesday at Changwon NC Park in the southeastern city of Changwon. The Cuban left-hander last pitched on May 12, and was sidelined before his next scheduled start six days later. With Elias out, th

July 2, 2024

Top vote getter to miss KBO All-Star Game due to injury

Kia Tigers closer Jung Hai-young, the top vote getter for the All-Star Game, will miss the midseason exhibition due to shoulder injury, his manager said Tuesday. The Tigers put Jung on the injured list on Monday with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder. The Tigers initially held out hope that Jung would be able to appear in the All-Star Game for the Korea Baseball Organization, scheduled for July 6, as he led all players by receiving about 1.39 million votes from fans. However, Tigers

June 25, 2024

All-Star closer for Tigers sidelined with shoulder injury

The Kia Tigers announced Monday their All-Star closer Jung Hai-young will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a shoulder injury. The Tigers, currently in first place in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), said Jung, the 22-year-old right-hander, has been diagnosed with rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder. Jung was lifted during Sunday's game against the Hanwha Eagles after facing four batters due to shoulder discomfort. He had a preliminary test done on Sunday and went thr

June 24, 2024

Tigers' Kim Do-yeong joins 20-20 club with homer off Ryu Hyun-jin

Kia Tigers infielder Kim Do-yeong joined the 20-20 club in South Korean baseball Sunday with a home run off former Major League All-Star Ryu Hyun-jin. Kim swatted a solo home run off Ryu, the starter for the Hanwha Eagles, to lead off the bottom of the fourth inning at Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju, some 270 kilometers south of Seoul. It was Kim's 20th home run of this Korea Baseball Organization season. Kim already had 22 steals prior to Sunday's game. At 20 years, eight mont

June 23, 2024

KBO club Eagles hire Olympic gold medal-winning skipper Kim Kyung-moon as new manager

The Hanwha Eagles announced Sunday that Kim Kyung-moon, who led South Korea to the 2008 Olympic baseball gold medal, will be their new manager. The Eagles signed Kim to a three-year deal worth 2 billion won ($1.4 million), including a signing bonus of 500 million won. Kim's hiring comes six days after his predecessor, Choi Won-ho, resigned to take the fall for the team's struggles. Kim, 65, will be managing in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) for the first time since June 2018. Ki

June 2, 2024

Eagles' Ryu Hyun-jin scratched from start due to arm discomfort

The Hanwha Eagles' pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin was scratched from his start Friday evening against the Samsung Lions because of left arm discomfort. Ryu had been scheduled to take the mound at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, some 240 kilometers southeast of Seoul, but the Eagles replaced him about an hour before the 6:30 p.m. first pitch. In Ryu's stead, right-hander Kim Kyu-yeon, who had been pitching in relief all season, made his first career start. The Eagles did not provide further de

May 31, 2024

Giants' Lee Jung-hoo lands on injured list with dislocated shoulder

The San Francisco Giants' South Korean rookie Lee Jung-hoo has landed on the 10-day injured list with a dislocated left shoulder. The Giants placed Lee on the sidelines Monday, a day after Lee crashed into the center-field wall at Oracle Park in San Francisco while trying to make a grab during the Giants' game against the Cincinnati Reds. Lee crumpled to the ground and immediately grabbed his left shoulder. A few minutes later, the Giants' head athletic trainer, Dave Groeschner, e

May 14, 2024

2 S. Korean players suffer injuries during MLB games

Two South Korean players in Major League Baseball this season, Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants and Kim Ha-seong of the San Diego Padres, have both suffered injuries that forced them to leave their games. The San Francisco Giants center fielder Lee Jung-hoo suffered a dislocated left shoulder after crashing into the outfield fence attempting to make a catch against the Cincinnati Reds at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Sunday. Kim Ha-seong, shortstop for the San Diego Padres, took a pitc

May 13, 2024

Landers slugger Choi Jeong becomes new KBO career home run leader

SSG Landers slugger Choi Jeong is the new home run king in South Korean baseball. Choi launched his 468th home run off Lotte Giants starter Lee In-bok at Sajik Baseball Stadium in the southeastern city of Busan on Wednesday, passing former Samsung Lions star Lee Seung-yuop on the all-time home run list in the Korea Baseball Organization. With the Landers trailing 7-4, Choi came up with two outs in the top of the fifth inning for his third plate appearance. Choi drilled a first-pitch slider and s

April 24, 2024

KBO umps caught on mic conspiring to cover up missed call

During a KBO game in Daegu on Sunday between the NC Dinos and Samsung Lions, the umpires were caught on a hot mic attempting to cover up a missed call of a strike as a ball. "You clearly heard a ball. You understand, right? This is the only way out for us," one umpire was overheard saying during a live TV broadcast during a conversation discussing an objection from the NC Dinos regarding a discrepancy between the robo umpire’s judgment and the human umpire’s call. After the

April 15, 2024

Giants rookie Lee Jung-hoo hits 1st MLB home run

The San Francisco Giants' South Korean rookie Lee Jung-hoo blasted his first career big league home run in just his third game. Lee went deep off Tom Cosgrove of the San Diego Padres in the top of the eighth inning at Petco Park in San Diego on Saturday. With the count at 1-1, Lee, who bats left-handed, drilled a sweeper from the lefty reliever and sent it 406 feet into the right field seats. The ball left Lee's bat at 104.4 miles per hour. Lee's homer kick-started a six-run innin

March 31, 2024

MLB debut a dream-come-true moment for Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo

After collecting his first major league hit and RBI in his very first game Thursday, San Francisco Giants outfielder Lee Jung-hoo said his dream has become reality. "I am happy to have played my first game. I've been dreaming of this moment," Lee told Yonhap News Agency in the visiting clubhouse at Petco Park in San Diego, where the Giants lost to the home team Padres 6-4. Lee went 1-for-3 with an RBI from a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh. "I don't have any regr

March 29, 2024

Pirates' Bae Ji-hwan to begin new season on injured list

Bae Ji-hwan, the South Korean utility player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, will begin the 2024 regular season on the injured list. The Pirates finalized their Opening Day roster Monday, three days before the start of the new Major League Baseball season. Bae was not among the 26 players on the list, and the Pirates said Bae will be on the while dealing with a left hip flexor injury. The 24-year-old has not played in spring training since March 5. In 11 exhibition games, he batted .273 with an RBI,

March 26, 2024

All 5 games sell out on 1st day of new KBO season

All five games on the first day of the new South Korean baseball season sold out Saturday, with over 100,000 fans enjoying the action nationwide. The defending Korean Series champions LG Twins hosted the Hanwha Eages in front of 23,750 fans at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, according to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The game between the Lotte Giants and the SSG Landers at Incheon SSG Landers Park in Incheon, just west of Seoul, was played in front of a sellout crowd of 23,000. The Ki

March 23, 2024

Ex-MLB ace Ryu Hyun-jin fizzles in 1st KBO regular-season start since '12

Former major league ERA champion Ryu Hyun-jin struggled in his first regular-season start in South Korea since 2012 on Saturday, unable to live up to considerable pregame hype amid shaky command and shoddy defense behind him. Ryu, who rejoined the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) in February after 11 years in the majors, gave up five runs on six hits and three walks in only 3 2/3 innings against the LG Twins in his Opening Day start at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. Thre

March 23, 2024

LG Twins receive Korean Series championship rings before home opener

Members of the LG Twins received their 2023 South Korean baseball championship rings before their home opener in Seoul on Saturday. The Korean Series championship rings were presented before the Twins hosted the Hanwha Eagles to begin their 2024 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. Representing the team, captain Oh Ji-hwan received his ring from Twins CEO Kim In-seog on the field during the pregame ceremony. The center of the ring features the image of the Korean

March 23, 2024

Defending KBO champions Twins not fearing ex-MLB ace Ryu Hyun-jin in season opener

As they open their South Korean baseball title defense Saturday against former major league All-Star Ryu Hyun-jin, the LG Twins aren't backing away from the challenge. Ryu, the 36-year-old left-hander back with the Hanwha Eagles after 11 years in Major League Baseball (MLB), could spell trouble for left-handed batters, thanks to his cutters and changeups painting the corners to keep them off balance. The Twins will still send seven left-handed batters against Ryu, with manager Youm Kyoung-y

March 23, 2024

Dodgers-Padres season opener is a triumphant homecoming for Korean star Kim

Shohei Ohtani has received the most attention as his Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres prepare to launch the Major League Baseball season with the first regular season games in South Korea. But the two-game “Seoul Series" starting on Wednesday is also a triumphant homecoming for Padres shortstop Ha-Seong Kim , who is coming off a dominant season and returning to a stadium he previously called home. Kim played for the Korea Baseball Organization’s Kiwoom Heroes for sev

March 19, 2024