SPORTS
Nov 21, 2017 Baseball
All-Star catcher signs free agent contract with new club
All-Star catcher Kang Min-ho signed a multi-year free agent contract with a new club Tuesday, making a big splash in what has been a relatively quiet market this offseason.The Samsung Lions of the Korea Baseball Organization announced a four-year, 8 billion-won ($7.3 million) deal with the 32-year-old backstop. The Lions said the deal includes a signing bonus of 4 billion won.Kang, 32, has spent his entire 14-year career with the Lotte Giants. When he first became a free agent in November 2013,
Nat'l baseball team returns home after finishing 2nd in regional tournament
South Korean national baseball team returned home from Tokyo on Monday, after the young squad finished runner-up to Japan at a new regional tournament.South Korea lost to Japan 7-0 to end in second place at the inaugural Asia Professional Baseball Championship at Tokyo Dome on Sunday. The competition was open to professional players from South Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei under 24 years of age -- born on or after Jan. 1, 1993 -- or those with less than three years of professional experience.S
Nov 20, 2017
Korea finishes runner-up to Japan in new regional baseball tournament
TOKYO -- South Korea lost to Japan 7-0 to finish in second place at the inaugural Asia Professional Baseball Championship here on Sunday.South Korea had no answer against crafty left-hander Kazuto Taguchi, who held the opponents to three hits in seven shutout innings at Tokyo Dome, as Japan claimed the first APBC title with an undefeated 3-0 record.Ryoma Nishikawa hit a solo shot as part of his three-RBI day at the plate. Hotaka Yamakawa and Shuta Tonosaki chipped in two RBIs apiece.The two coun
Korea to start hard-throwing right-hander vs. Japan to open baseball tournament
TOKYO -- South Korea will start a hard-throwing right-hander against Japan to open an inaugural baseball tournament this week.South Korean manager Sun Dong-yol on Wednesday announced Jang Hyun-sik as the starter against Japan in Thursday's opening game of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship at Tokyo Dome.The event features professional players from South Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei under 24 years of age -- born on or after Jan. 1, 1993 -- or those with less than three years of profes
Nov 15, 2017
Baseball club acquires new American pitcher
South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles said Wednesday they've signed American pitcher Jason Wheeler.The Korea Baseball Organization club said it has inked the 27-year-old left-hander to a $575,000 contract, which includes $100,000 in signing bonus.The Eagles said Wheeler has a good command of his four-seam fastball, slider and changeup. This photo captured from website MLB.com shows a profile for pitcher Jason Wheeler, acquired by the Korea Baseball Organization club Hanwha Eagles on Nov. 15,
Baseball club signs American hitter for 2nd season
South Korean baseball club KT Wiz said Tuesday they have signed American hitter Mel Rojas Jr. for a second season.The Korea Baseball Organization club said the new deal is worth $1 million.Rojas, 27, joined the Wiz in June on a $400,000 deal, replacing slumping Johnny Monell. In 83 games, Rojas batted .301 with 18 home runs, 56 RBIs and five steals. In this file photo taken Sept. 27, 2017, Mel Rojas Jr. of the KT Wiz picks up a base hit against the Doosan Bears in the bottom of the first inning
Nov 14, 2017
MLB tenders status checks on 3 Korean players
Major League Baseball has checked on the availability of three South Korean players in the market this offseason, league officials here said Monday.The Korea Baseball Organization said MLB tendered status checks on Lotte Giants outfielder Son A-seop, Kia Tigers left-hander Yang Hyeon-jong and SK Wyverns outfielder Jung Eui-yoon on Sunday.The KBO responded on Monday that Son and Jung are both free agents and may sign with any club, but Yang, the reigning KBO MVP, remains under the Tigers' control
Nov 13, 2017
Ex-San Francisco Giant Hwang Jae-gyun signs with Korean club
Former San Francisco Giants infielder Hwang Jae-gyun has signed with a South Korean club, returning home after a cup of coffee in the majors this year.The KT Wiz of the Korea Baseball Organization announced on Monday they've acquired Hwang on a four-year deal worth 8.8 billion won ($7.9 million), which includes a 4.4 billion won signing bonus.The 30-year-old had two stints with the Giants in his first major league season. He homered in his very first big league game on June 28, but ended up batt
Ex-All-Star catcher, reliever announce retirements
A former All-Star catcher and a reliever each announced their retirement from the Korea Baseball Organization on Wednesday.A 42-year-old backstop Cho In-sung announced his decision through the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association earlier in the day. He'd been without a team after getting released by the Hanwha Eagles in June.Cho has wrapped up a 20-year career spent with three different clubs. He enjoyed his best years with the LG Twins, which drafted him in 1998.Known for his strong
Nov 8, 2017
Teen sensation captures Korean baseball's top rookie award in landslide
A teenage sensation captured South Korean baseball's top rookie award in a landslide on Monday.Nexen Heroes' outfielder Lee Jung-hoo was voted Rookie of the Year in the 2017 Korea Baseball Organization season at the annual awards ceremony in Seoul on Monday. The 19-year-old earned 503 total points out of the maximum 535, winning 98 out of 107 first-place votes.The first-place vote was worth five points, the second-place vote three points, and the third-place vote was good for one point.Lotte Gia
Nov 6, 2017
Astros win 1st World Series crown
From laughingstock to liftoff
Nov 3, 2017
Dodgers' Ryu Hyun-jin ends 2017 without postseason appearance
All Ryu Hyun-jin could do was to watch, as his Los Angeles Dodgers lose to the Houston Astros 5-1 in Game 7 of the World Series at home.In fact, the South Korean left-hander did nothing but watch during the Dodgers' postseason run.The Dodgers' loss at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday (local time) ended their 2017 season, and Ryu never made a postseason appearance.After going 5-9 with a 3.77 ERA in 25 appearances in the regular season, Ryu was left off the roster in all stages of the po
Nov 2, 2017
Retired star back with former team as coach
A retired South Korean baseball star will be going back to his former club as a coach.The LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization said Thursday former All-Star outfielder Lee Byung-kyu will join the team as a coach. His specific role hasn't been determined, though he'll likely be the hitting coach for the Twins' minor league club in the Futures League.Lee, 43, is one of the Twins' greatest players. He spent his entire 17-year KBO career with the Twins, and batted .311 with 2,043 hits, 161 ho
Reigning baseball champions extend manager through 2020
Reigning South Korean baseball champions Kia Tigers signed their manager Kim Ki-tai to a three-year extension Wednesday, two days after clinching the title. The Korea Baseball Organization club said Kim has agreed to a new three-year deal worth 2 billion won ($1.8 million), including a signing bonus of 500 million won. With Kim at the helm, the Tigers won the Korean Series over the Doosan Bears in five games Monday. It was the Tigers‘ first championship since 2009 and their 11th overall. Kim Ki
Nov 1, 2017
Baseball club names new manager after down year
South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles on Tuesday named a former franchise star as their new manager.The Korea Baseball Organization club said Han Yong-duk will take over as manager on a three-year contract worth 1.2 billion won ($1.07 million), including a signing bonus of 300 million won. Han had been the bench coach for the Doosan Bears since 2015.The Eagles missed the postseason for the 10th consecutive season in 2017, finishing eighth among 10 clubs with 61 wins, 81 losses and two ties.?
Oct 31, 2017