From
Send to

S. Korean ball club Nexen Heroes reach strategic partnership with Boston Red Sox

Jan. 6, 2014 - 15:01 By 정주원
South Korean baseball club Nexen Heroes announced on Monday they've reached a strategic partnership agreement with the reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

The Seoul-based Korea Baseball Organization team said its president, Lee Jang-seok, met with Allard Baird, vice president of player personnel for the Red Sox, in the South Korean capital on Sunday to ink their deal.

The Heroes noted that this is Boston's first strategic partnership with an Asian pro club.

Under the partnership, the Red Sox agreed to share their expertise in establishing and operating the farm system and in utilizing advanced metrics to analyze and evaluate players, among other operational techniques.

The Heroes said they believe Boston runs the most advanced farm system in Major League Baseball and that they hope to learn from the best and apply their knowledge to their own minor league team.

Through the team's news release, Lee said it was an honor to be a partner with a team of such rich tradition.

"We're entering only our seventh professional season, and we have a lot to learn," Lee said. "And as we move forward, learning from Boston should help us a great deal in achieving our vision. We hope to maintain a mutually beneficial strategic partnership that can build and improve new systems and models through active exchanges."

Baird said the Red Sox had been seeking a potential partner in Asia for the past two years and felt the Heroes' brand of aggressive and dynamic baseball fell in line with Boston's philosophy.

Baird added the Red Sox are also hoping to learn what they can from South Korean baseball. (Yonhap News)