It wasn't meant to be for Shohei Ohtani on Sunday. The Los Angeles Dodgers superstar struck out in both of his two plate appearances in an exhibition game in Seoul against the South Korean club Kiwoom Heroes. Ohtani is the biggest draw here as the Dodgers are gearing up for the historic Major League Baseball Seoul Series against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday and Thursday -- the first MLB regular season games to be played in South Korea. Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract wit

Given the oft-bitter sporting rivalry between South Korea and Japan, it is not often that an athlete from one country attains as much respect and popularity in the other as the Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani has in South Korea. For the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger, the feeling is mutual, as he prepares to play historic Major League Baseball (MLB) games in Seoul. Ohtani arrived in South Korea on Friday to great fanfare, drawing boisterous cheers from hundreds of fans gathered at Incheon

Led by their Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers landed in South Korea on Friday for historic Major League Baseball games in Seoul, drawing thunderous cheers from hundreds of fans camped out at the country's main airport. The Dodgers arrived at Incheon International Airport, just west of Seoul, around 2:30 p.m. Their charter flight touched down about 14 hours after the San Diego Padres, their opponents for the two-game Seoul Series set for Wednesday and Thursday. The

Former Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin made KBO history with an eight-year contract worth 17 billion won ($12.8 million) with the Hanwha Eagles on Feb. 22. The Eagles said Ryu’s contract has no incentives baked into the contract and all 17 billion won is guaranteed. It is also the longest contract in KBO history. Initially, the Eagles had been expected to offer Ryu, who turns 37 later this month, 17 billion won over four years. But by spreading out the same amount of mone

After pitching in front of home fans for the first time in over a decade, Hanwha Eagles starter Ryu Hyun-jin said Tuesday he was mostly happy with his performance. The 36-year-old left-hander pitched four innings of one-run ball against the Kia Tigers in a preseason game in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, some 140 kilometers south of Seoul. It was Ryu's first official KBO game since Oct. 4, 2012. He first pitched for the Eagles from 2006 to 201

Lee Jung-hoo of the San Francisco Giants has stretched his spring training hitting streak to five games. The South Korean rookie center fielder batted 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday (local time). Batting leadoff, Lee grounded out to second base in the top of the first and drew a walk in the top of the second. Lee came up with runners at the corners in the top of the fourth and cashed in a run wit

Former major league All-Star Ryu Hyun-jin will likely make two preseason appearances before marking his much-anticipated regular season return to the top South Korean league, his manager said Monday. Ryu and the Hanwha Eagles returned home Monday from their spring training in Okinawa, Japan. Ryu, the 2019 National League All-Star Game starter, reunited with the Eagles on an eight-year contract on Feb. 22, and flew to Okinawa to report to camp the following day. His deal, worth 17 billion won ($1

The South Korean baseball league announced Monday it has signed a record-setting streaming rights deal with CJ ENM, with its games moving behind a paywall for the first time. For the next three seasons, CJ ENM, the media and entertainment arm of CJ Group, will carry Korea Baseball Organization games on its streaming platform, Tving. According to the KBO, the deal is worth 135 billion won ($101.6 million), compared with the previous five-year, 110 billion-won contract with a consortium of portal

Having returned home to begin another chapter in his illustrious career, South Korean pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin said Friday he will try to push his new team back to the postseason. Ryu reunited with the Hanwha Eagles in the Korea Baseball Organization by agreeing to an eight-year, 17 billion-won ($12.8 million) contract Thursday. By the total amount, Ryu is the highest-paid player in KBO history. Ryu first pitched for the Eagles from 2006 to 2012, before spending the next 11 years in Major League Bas

The South Korean baseball club Hanwha Eagles will likely finalize their deal with free agent pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin by Wednesday and make him the highest-paid player in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), sources said Tuesday. The Eagles have reportedly offered Ryu a four-year deal worth 17 billion won (US$12.7 million), the largest deal ever in the KBO both by average annual value and total amount. The Eagles have taken necessary administrative steps to finalize their deal with the 36-year

South Korean free agent infielder Choi Ji-man has found a new home with the New York Mets, his agency announced Saturday. G-Man Sports Management said Choi has signed a one-year split contract with the Mets worth up to US$3.5 million, including performance-based bonus, if Choi makes the Opening Day roster. He also had an invitation to spring training. Under a split contract, a player earns different amounts of money based on the time he spends in the majors and in the minors. If Choi makes the M

The Korea Baseball Organization looks like it will be implementing most of the same changes in rules that heated up the MLB in 2023. The Automatic Ball-Strike System, larger bases and limits on defensive shifts are part of seven major rule changes that will be implemented in the 2024 season. The KBO, however, has put the brakes on the introduction of a pitch clock. If implemented, a pitch clock would force pitchers to deliver a pitch within 15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with run

Tickets for the first Major League Baseball regular season game to be played in South Korea were sold out just eight minutes after going on sale last week, the event's marketing partner said Monday. Coupang Play, a South Korean streaming service and the official presenting partner for the MLB World Tour Seoul Series, announced that all tickets for the March 20 clash between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres were snatched up online soon after the window opened at 8 p.m. last F

The Kia Tigers announced Friday they have signed veteran designated hitter Choi Hyoung-woo to a new two-year deal. Choi, 40, is the oldest non-free agent player to sign a multiyear contract in Korea Baseball Organization history. The Tigers said Choi's contract has a guaranteed first year with a vesting option for a second season, meaning that it will become guaranteed if Choi meets a performance incentive threshold. In all, Choi can make up to 2.2 billion won ($1.7 million). In June last y

South Korean All-Star closer Go Woo-suk is now a member of the San Diego Padres. The Padres announced Wednesday that Go has agreed to a two-year contract with a mutual option for a third year in 2026. The Padres did not disclose financial details. Earlier in the day, New York Post columnist Joel Sherman tweeted that Go had signed a two-year deal worth $4.5 million. A major league source confirmed to Yonhap News Agency that the guaranteed amount of Go's contract is indeed $4.5 million over t