INCHEON-- Five years removed from his last game in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), former Samsung Lions slugger Lee Seung-yuop is getting his competitive juice flowing in different ways these days. When he is not analyzing KBO games in the broadcast booth, Lee is acting as a manager for a team on a popular baseball reality show, leading a team of retired players against high school and college stars. "We don't want to take it easy on anyone. I keep telling guys that we have to t

Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Choi Ji-man has gone deep for the first time in September. Choi hit a solo homer against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Tuesday (local time), giving his team a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. The Blue Jays, though, rallied for a 7-2 victory for a split of the day-night doubleheaders between the American League East rivals. Choi drove a hanging slider from Toronto starter Alek Manoah and sent it into the upper deck in the right field. It

After just one plate appearance off the bench, Pittsburgh Pirates utility player Park Hoy-jun is headed back to the minors. The Pirates optioned the South Korean to Triple-A Indianapolis on Monday (U.S. time), prior to their road game against the Cincinnati Reds. The Bucs called up Park from the minor league last Wednesday before a doubleheader against the New York Mets, and he came off the bench as a defensive replacement at second base in the top of the eighth of the second game. Park made his

Four right-handed slugging legends in South Korean baseball were introduced on Monday as the latest members of the commemorative team marking the 40th anniversary of professional baseball in the country. Since mid-July, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has been announcing four new members each week to its "40 Legends" team. The new entries are: former shortstop/first baseman Jang Jong-hoon, ex-third baseman Kim Dong-joo, former outfielder Shim Chong-soo and former first baseman Ty

Four of South Korean baseball's greatest left-handed hitters were unveiled as the latest members of the commemorative team marking the 40th anniversary of professional baseball in the country Monday. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has been announcing four new members each week to its "40 Legends" team. The new entries are former outfielders Yang Joon-hyuk, Park Yong-taik and Lee Byung-kyu, and ex-first baseman Kim Ki-tai. Yang, seventh in the voting by experts and fans, is

Speedy outfielders and slick-fielding infielders became the latest members of the commemorative team marking the 40th anniversary of professional baseball in South Korea on Monday. Since July, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) has been revealing four new members for its 40 Legends team. The new quartet comprises: former outfielder Jeon Jun-ho, another ex-outfielder Lee Soon-chul, former second baseman Jeong Keun-woo and former shortstop Park Jin-man. Jeon, 34th in the voting by a panel of ex

On July 10, the Kiwoom Heroes, thanks to a three-game winning streak, sat only 2.5 games behind the SSG Landers for first place in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The Landers had been at the top of the standings since the start of the season, but the Heroes were making a hard push. Their record stood at 54-30-1 (wins-losses-ties). Fast forward to Tuesday, as the Heroes enter a new week of action in third place, now 13.5 games back of the Landers. The Heroes have gone 7-18-1 since July 10

In a bid to sign with a major league club, South Korean high school pitching prospect Shim Jun-seok has decided to skip the annual rookie draft in the South Korean league. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Wednesday that Shim, the third-year right-hander for Duksoo High School in Seoul, did not register for the Sept. 15 draft. The deadline to enter the draft was midnight Tuesday. Shim, 18, has been a highly-touted prospect since his freshman year in 2020, when he went 4-1 in eight

The SSG Landers, fresh off yet another productive week, are in the midst of a potentially historic season in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). On Saturday, they became the first team to reach the 70-win mark this year by beating the Doosan Bears 8-2. The next day, they edged out the Bears 5-4 in extra innings, thanks to Choi Jeong's go-ahead solo home run in the top of the 10th. With five wins in their past six games, the Landers' record now stands at 71-31-3 (wins-losses-ties), 9

In the midst of their second-half surge, the NC Dinos announced Thursday they've acquired new American pitcher Matt Dermody. Dermody will make $220,000 for the rest of the ongoing Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season, including a $40,000 signing bonus. Dermody, with 30 big league games to his credit, will replace Wes Parsons, who was released last week after posting a 1-2 record with a 3.56 ERA in eight starts. Parsons had not pitched since May 14 with a back injury. Dermody, a 32-year-

The SSG Landers remain so far ahead of the pack in South Korean baseball this year that other contenders are essentially playing for second place. The defending Korean Series champions KT Wiz have entered the chat. The Landers hold an eight-game lead over the LG Twins with 44 games left in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) season. Barring a collapse of epic proportions, the Landers should be able to claim the regular season crown. The Twins and the Kiwoom Heroes kept trading places all last

Few players in baseball are as hot as Kim Ha-seong right now. The South Korean infielder for the San Diego Padres enjoyed his first career four-hit game against the Colorado Rockies at Petco Park in San Diego on Tuesday (local time), going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored in a 13-5 victory. It was the first game of a doubleheader, Kim fell a home run shy of a cycle, as he had two singles, a double and a triple. Former Texas Rangers All-Star Choo Shin-soo is so far the only South Korean

Amid rumors that he could be dealt ahead of the annual trade deadline this week, Tampa Bay Rays infielder Choi Ji-man has surpassed his RBI total from last season. Choi collected two RBIs despite going hitless in four at-bats in a 5-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday (local time). Choi was the designated hitter and got his second straight start at the leadoff spot. After striking out in the first inning, Choi knocked in a run with a groundo

South Korea's western city of Incheon will host former major league sluggers and celebrities in a global home run derby tour in September, the event's organizers said Thursday. "FTX MLB Home Run Derby X" will stop in Incheon, some 30 kilometers west of Seoul, on Sept. 17. London hosted the inaugural event on July 9, and the tour will also visit Mexico City in October. Major League Baseball (MLB) announced the birth of the new bracket-style competition in March. It features fo

The SSG Landers have been at the top of South Korean baseball all season, and as the second half of the 2022 campaign resumes Friday, they will try to do the unthinkable: going wire to wire to win the pennant. The Landers (57-26-3) have already set a Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) record by spending 86 games and 104 days in first place from the season's start. No club has ever spent an entire season at the top in the league's 41-year history. The Landers, currently riding a six-game