Dodgers' Opening Day starter hoping to see S. Korean style cheering in Los Angeles

While his Los Angeles Dodgers played their two exhibition games in Seoul to prepare for their regular season openers, starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow got a close look at what the South Korean style of cheering is all about. And the American right-hander quickly became a fan of it. In a typical Korea Baseball Organization game, there are cheering teams on either side of the diamond, with the home team usually taking the stage on the first base side and the road team setting up shot on the third ba

March 19, 2024

Dodgers beat S. Korea in final exhibition before MLB opener in Seoul

The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied past South Korea 5-2 to win their second straight exhibition game in Seoul on Monday, with the regular season opener against the San Diego Padres on the horizon. The Dodgers scored three times in the bottom of the third to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, before adding an insurance run in the seventh. The Dodgers and the Padres will then open the 2024 Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season at Gocheok on Wednesday, with another g

March 18, 2024

Padres' S. Korean pitcher Go Woo-suk to make homecoming appearance vs. ex-KBO team

Go Woo-suk, the South Korean relief pitcher for the San Diego Padres, will make an appearance against his former Korea Baseball Organization club LG Twins on Monday, his manager said. Mike Shildt said Go, former closer with the Twins, will likely make an appearance in middle innings when the Padres take on the South Korean team in an exhibition game at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. It will be the second exhibition game for the Padres here before they play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the season-openi

March 18, 2024

Padres squeeze past S. Korean national team in exhibition game in Seoul

The San Diego Padres eked out a 1-0 win over the South Korean national team in their first exhibition game in Seoul on Sunday. The Padres scored their only run on a wild pitch by South Korean starter Moon Dong-ju in the top of the first inning at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. South Korea outhit the Padres 5-4, but squandered some late scoring opportunities against the Padres bullpen. Kim Ha-seong, the South Korean shortstop for the Padres, batted 1-for-4 in his homecoming in front of 12,497 fans.

March 17, 2024

S. Korean pitcher Moon Dong-ju flashes electric yet wild stuff in exhibition vs. Padres

Billed as the next big thing in South Korean baseball, right-hander Moon Dong-ju showcased some electric stuff in an exhibition game against the San Diego Padres in Seoul on Sunday. The problem was Moon didn't always know where his blazing fastballs were going. Moon, starter for the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), got the starting nod for the national team against the Padres at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. It was the first of two exhibitions scheduled for the Padres

March 17, 2024

Shohei Ohtani strikes out in both at-bats in exhibition vs. KBO club

It wasn't meant to be for Shohei Ohtani on Sunday. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar struck out in both of his two plate appearances in an exhibition game in Seoul against the South Korean club Kiwoom Heroes. Ohtani is the biggest draw here as the Dodgers are gearing up for the historic Major League Baseball Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday and Thursday -- the first MLB regular season games to be played in South Korea. Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract wit

March 17, 2024

Ohtani appreciates warm reception from S. Korean fans

Given the oft-bitter sporting rivalry between South Korea and Japan, it is not often that an athlete from one country attains as much respect and popularity in the other as the Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani has in South Korea. For the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger, the feeling is mutual, as he prepares to play historic Major League Baseball (MLB) games in Seoul. Ohtani arrived in South Korea on Friday to great fanfare, drawing boisterous cheers from hundreds of fans gathered at Incheon

March 16, 2024

Ohtani leads Dodgers to S. Korea as they prepare for historic MLB series

Led by their Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers landed in South Korea on Friday for historic Major League Baseball games in Seoul, drawing thunderous cheers from hundreds of fans camped out at the country's main airport. The Dodgers arrived at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, around 2:30 p.m. Their charter flight touched down about 14 hours after the San Diego Padres, their opponents for the two-game Seoul Series set for Wednesday and Thursday. The

March 15, 2024

[Graphic News] Ryu Hyun-jin signs megadeal with Eagles

Former Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin made KBO history with an eight-year contract worth 17 billion won ($12.8 million) with the Hanwha Eagles on Feb. 22. The Eagles said Ryu’s contract has no incentives baked into the contract and all 17 billion won is guaranteed. It is also the longest contract in KBO history. Initially, the Eagles had been expected to offer Ryu, who turns 37 later this month, 17 billion won over four years. But by spreading out the same amount of mone

March 15, 2024

Ryu Hyun-jin pleased with 1st KBO preseason outing, thanks fans for support

After pitching in front of home fans for the first time in over a decade, Hanwha Eagles starter Ryu Hyun-jin said Tuesday he was mostly happy with his performance. The 36-year-old left-hander pitched four innings of one-run ball against the Kia Tigers in a preseason game in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, some 140 kilometers south of Seoul. It was Ryu's first official KBO game since Oct. 4, 2012. He first pitched for the Eagles from 2006 to 201

March 12, 2024

Giants' Lee Jung-hoo extends spring training hitting streak to 5 games

Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants has stretched his spring training hitting streak to five games. The South Korean rookie center fielder batted 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday (local time). Batting leadoff, Lee grounded out to second base in the top of the first and drew a walk in the top of the second. Lee came up with runners at the corners in the top of the fourth and cashed in a run wit

March 5, 2024

Ryu Hyun-jin likely to pitch in 2 preseason games before KBO Opening Day start: manager

Former major league All-Star Ryu Hyun-jin will likely make two preseason appearances before marking his much-anticipated regular season return to the top South Korean league, his manager said Monday. Ryu and the Hanwha Eagles returned home Monday from their spring training in Okinawa, Japan. Ryu, the 2019 National League All-Star Game starter, reunited with the Eagles on an eight-year contract on Feb. 22, and flew to Okinawa to report to camp the following day. His deal, worth 17 billion won ($1

March 4, 2024

KBO signs record-breaking streaming deal with CJ ENM, moves games behind paywall

The South Korean baseball league announced Monday it has signed a record-setting streaming rights deal with CJ ENM, with its games moving behind a paywall for the first time. For the next three seasons, CJ ENM, the media and entertainment arm of CJ Group, will carry Korea Baseball Organization games on its streaming platform, Tving. According to the KBO, the deal is worth 135 billion won ($101.6 million), compared with the previous five-year, 110 billion-won contract with a consortium of portal

March 4, 2024

Ryu Hyun-jin determined to take Eagles to KBO postseason in return from MLB

Having returned home to begin another chapter in his illustrious career, South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin said Friday he will try to push his new team back to the postseason. Ryu reunited with the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization by agreeing to an eight-year, 17 billion-won ($12.8 million) contract Thursday. By the total amount, Ryu is the highest-paid player in KBO history. Ryu first pitched for the Eagles from 2006 to 2012, before spending the next 11 years in Major League Bas

Feb. 23, 2024

KBO's Eagles likely to finalize deal with Ryu Hyun-jin by Wednesday

The South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles will likely finalize their deal with free agent pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin by Wednesday and make him the highest-paid player in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), sources said Tuesday. The Eagles have reportedly offered Ryu a four-year deal worth 17 billion won (US$12.7 million), the largest deal ever in the KBO both by average annual value and total amount. The Eagles have taken necessary administrative steps to finalize their deal with the 36-year

Feb. 20, 2024

Free agent infielder Choi Ji-man signs with Mets

South Korean free agent infielder Choi Ji-man has found a new home with the New York Mets, his agency announced Saturday. G-Man Sports Management said Choi has signed a one-year split contract with the Mets worth up to US$3.5 million, including performance-based bonus, if Choi makes the Opening Day roster. He also had an invitation to spring training. Under a split contract, a player earns different amounts of money based on the time he spends in the majors and in the minors. If Choi makes the M

Feb. 17, 2024

[Graphic News] New rules to be implemented in KBO

The Korea Baseball Organization looks like it will be implementing most of the same changes in rules that heated up the MLB in 2023. The Automatic Ball-Strike System, larger bases and limits on defensive shifts are part of seven major rule changes that will be implemented in the 2024 season. The KBO, however, has put the brakes on the introduction of a pitch clock. If implemented, a pitch clock would force pitchers to deliver a pitch within 15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with run

Feb. 2, 2024

Tickets for 1st MLB regular season game in S. Korea sold out in 8 minutes: marketer

Tickets for the first Major League Baseball regular season game to be played in South Korea were sold out just eight minutes after going on sale last week, the event's marketing partner said Monday. Coupang Play, a South Korean streaming service and the official presenting partner for the MLB World Tour Seoul Series, announced that all tickets for the March 20 clash between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres were snatched up online soon after the window opened at 8 p.m. last F

Jan. 29, 2024

Kia Tigers sign KBO's all-time RBI leader to 2-yr deal

The Kia Tigers announced Friday they have signed veteran designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo to a new two-year deal. Choi, 40, is the oldest non-free agent player to sign a multiyear contract in Korea Baseball Organization history. The Tigers said Choi's contract has a guaranteed first year with a vesting option for a second season, meaning that it will become guaranteed if Choi meets a performance incentive threshold. In all, Choi can make up to 2.2 billion won ($1.7 million). In June last y

Jan. 5, 2024

S. Korean All-Star closer Go Woo-suk signs with San Diego Padres

South Korean All-Star closer Go Woo-suk is now a member of the San Diego Padres. The Padres announced Wednesday that Go has agreed to a two-year contract with a mutual option for a third year in 2026. The Padres did not disclose financial details. Earlier in the day, New York Post columnist Joel Sherman tweeted that Go had signed a two-year deal worth $4.5 million. A major league source confirmed to Yonhap News Agency that the guaranteed amount of Go's contract is indeed $4.5 million over t

Jan. 4, 2024