Toronto Blue Jays' starter Ryu Hyun-jin has tossed another fine outing in spring training, as he continues to build up nicely for the start of the regular season next week. Ryu threw five scoreless innings in a simulated game in Dunedin, Florida, on Sunday (local time), the Blue Jays announced. The team said the South Korean left-hander struck out five while making 77 pitches. He gave up three h...

CHANGWON -- Former major league All-Star Choo Shin-soo made his South Korean professional baseball debut on Sunday, striking out twice as a designated hitter in the most eagerly anticipated preseason game in recent years. Choo, the biggest offseason signing by the SSG Landers, went 0-for-3 from the No. 2 spot against the NC Dinos at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, 400 kilometers southeast of Seoul...

Contrary to popular belief, there are players in South Korean baseball other than Choo Shin-soo, and his SSG Landers definitely aren't the only club in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Despite the presence of nine other clubs and their players, Choo and the Landers have been hogging the spotlight throughout spring training, and for good reason. Now, one of the most hyped-up preseasons in K...

In 20 games as a rookie last year, including 16 starts, LG Twins' right-hander Lee Min-ho mostly relied on two pitches: four-seam fastball and slider. The 19-year-old is trying to change that pattern this year by throwing his curveball more often. The runner-up in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2020 hopes he can keep hitters on their toes that way and improve on his 3.69 ERA from last season. ...

In just his second spring training start, Ryu Hyun-jin of the Toronto Blue Jays already looked to be in midseason form. The South Korean left-hander tossed four shutout innings in a 4-0 win over the Detroit Tigers at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, on Monday (local time). Ryu struck out four and gave up just two hits. He was supposed to get his pitch count up to 60 ...

Baseball fans shouldn't put too much stock into spring training results, good or bad. That's often the case in a normal year. And in this pandemic-hit 2021 season -- games going fewer than nine innings and starting pitchers getting pulled in the first inning, only to come back out for the second inning -- that's even more so. But sometimes, numbers are bad enough, even factoring in sample size,...

Spring training hitting slump hasn't kept Kim Ha-seong from making an impact on defense for the San Diego Padres. The new South Korean infielder combined for two inning-ending double plays in the Padres' 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals at Peoria Stadium in Peoria, Arizona, on Sunday (local time). Kim got the start at shortstop, with Jake Cronenworth getting the nod at second base. With the ...

The Texas Rangers' new South Korean pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong allowed a home run in his spring training debut, a shaky start to his pursuit of a major league job by the end of this month. Yang served up a solo home run and a single in one inning of relief work against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Arizona, on Sunday (local time). Yang was the last of five Texas pitchers ...

A new team has landed in South Korean baseball. The SK Wyverns are no more in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), as the team's new corporate owner, Shinsegae Group's E-Mart, announced Friday they will now be called the SSG Landers. SSG comes from Shinsegae's online mall, SSG.com. The nickname Landers was inspired in part by Incheon International Airport, the country's main gateway located i...

The South Korean baseball league has greenlighted the entry of the retail giant Shinsegae Group following its purchase of the SK Wyverns. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Friday its board of governors, made up of club owners, unanimously approved Shinsegae's membership. Shinsegae's E-Mart recently took over the Wyverns from SK Telecom for 135.2 billion won ($119.7 million). And i...

SEOGWIPO -- Even before managing his first regular season game, SK Wyverns' new skipper Kim Won-hyong has already gone through a dizzying roller-coaster ride. For one, his team will no longer be called the SK Wyverns after this week. Shinsegae Group's E-Mart purchased the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club from SK Telecom, and the new name is expected to be unveiled Friday. The abrupt decisi...

Former Texas Rangers All-Star Choo Shin-soo brings impressive major league credentials to his new South Korean club, but he left his ego back in the United States before arriving in his homeland on Thursday. Choo on Tuesday signed a one-year deal worth 2.7 billion won (US$2.4 million) with the SK Wyverns, a club soon to be renamed after recently being sold to Shinsegae Group. Choo is expected to...

Former major league All-Star outfielder Choo Shin-soo is coming home. Choo has signed with the new Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club to be owned by Shinsegae Group, the retail giant announced Tuesday. Shinsegae will take over the SK Wyverns from the mobile carrier SK Telecom, with the new club name and uniform to be unveiled sometime next month. Shinegae said Choo agreed to a 2.7 billion-w...

Major League Baseball (MLB) has checked on the availability of South Korean free agent pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong, league officials here said Monday, a move indicating newfound interest in the left-hander. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) said MLB tendered a status check on Yang last Friday and that it informed its US counterpart that Yang is a free agent and may sign with any big league club....

All participants in spring training for South Korean baseball have tested negative for the novel coronavirus, the league office announced Monday. Spring training for the 10 Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) clubs began across the nation on Monday. And the league announced in the evening that 776 players, 255 coaches and managers, and 692 team officials -- 1,723 in total -- all tested negative. ...