Four players and two coaches from two clubs in the Korea Baseball Organization were disciplined Tuesday for their roles in a bench-clearing brawl this past weekend.
The KBO slapped the Samsung Lions pitcher Yun Sung-hwan with a six-game ban, and also banned Samsung coaches Kim Jae-gul and Kang Bong-kyu five games each. The two coaches were each fined 3 million won ($2,670). Another Samsung pitcher, Zach Petrick, was fined 2 million won.
Players and coaches from the Samsung Lions (in blue) and the Hanwha Eagles are tangled up after Samsung starter Yun Sung-hwan hit Hanwha's Wilin Rosario with a pitch during their Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon on May 21, 2017. (Yonhap)
The Hanwha Eagles starting pitcher Carlos Villanueva got a six-game suspension, and the club's outfielder Jung Hyun-suk took a five-game ban.
During Sunday's game at Hawha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, Yun hit Hanwha's Kim Tae-kyun with a pitch in the bottom of the third.
Kim took exception to the pitch and exchanged a few words with Yun, as both benches cleared. The situation didn't escalate further, and the game resumed.
But Yun nailed the next batter, Wilin Rosario, with his first pitch. Rosario threw down his bat in anger and walked toward the mound as the benches and bullpens cleared again.
A melee ensued this time, with punches and kicks being thrown, followed by shoving and grabbing.
For the Lions, Yun and Petrick were ejected. Villanueva, the Eagles' starter for the game, and Jung were also tossed.
It marked the first time in the KBO history both starting pitchers were sent packing in the same game.
Villanueva also sustained a torn ligament in his left pinkie.
Then after further video review, the KBO penalized Kim and Kang, the two Samsung coaches, for hitting Hanwha players during the fracas.
Separately, the Lions and the Eagles were each fined 5 million won for their lack of oversight. (Yonhap)