A slugger and a young speedster from a non-playoff club were the big winners Monday at the awards ceremony in South Korea’s top baseball league.First baseman Park Byung-ho of the Nexen Heroes was voted the most valuable player of the Korea Baseball Organization, earning 73 of 91 possible votes cast by baseball journalists.The 26-year-old led the league with 31 home runs, 105 RBI and a .561 slugging percentage and played every game in the 133-game season. He also swiped 20 bases to become the 23r

Powered by strong arms, Samsung adds another Series title

The Samsung Lions are the champions of South Korean baseball in 2012.At Seoul's Jamsil Stadium Thursday, the Lions beat the SK Wyverns 7-0 to clinch the best-of-seven Korean Series in six games.Park Seok-min blasted a two-run home run and Lee Seung-yeop hit a bases-loaded triple during the six-run fourth for the Lions, who have now won back-to-back Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) titles and their sixth overall. Last year, they defeated the same Wyverns in five games.Lee Seung-yeop was voted th

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ― Ecstatic baseball fans packed the streets of San Francisco on Wednesday for a confetti-drenched parade and rally honoring the World Series champion Giants ― a Halloween treat made even sweeter as a repeat performance from 2010.Tens of thousands of people decked out in the team’s holiday-appropriate orange and black stood 30 deep behind barriers, climbed trees, camped out overnight and mounted rooftops for a chance to see their favorite players wave from convertibles and get

South Korea’s top baseball league said Thursday it will inform Major League Baseball of the availability of a star Korean pitcher for posting.The Korea Baseball Organization said it will notify MLB Friday that the Hanwha Eagles left-hander Ryu Hyun-jin will be up for a silent auction as part of the posting process.The Eagles announced on Monday this week that they will make Ryu available for interested MLB clubs, clearing the way for the pitcher to join the big leagues as early as 2013.Ryu becam

 The Samsung Lions squeezed past the SK Wyverns 2-1 Wednesday to get to within one win of the South Korean professional baseball championship.In Game 5 of the Korean Series at Seoul's Jamsil Stadium, the Lions scored early on SK's shaky defense and held on for dear life to take the 3-2 series lead in the best-of-seven affair.The Lions can clinch their second straight title, and sixth overall, with a win Thursday night back at Jamsil.The Lions got the first run in the bottom of the first. After a

A time-worn baseball adage says pitching and defense win championships. Four games into the championship final in South Korean baseball, though, you can forget about at least the pitching part.The Samsung Lions and the SK Wyverns are knotted at 2-2 in the best-of-seven Korean Series. And whoever claims the Korea Baseball Organization crown, it will likely be in spite of their pitching, because the series has turned into a home-run slugfest.This is the third straight Korean Series between these t

The Lotte Giants' manager Yang Seung-ho has resigned from his post, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) team announced Tuesday, to take the fall for the club's failure to reach a final during his two-year tenure.The Busan-based Giants said Yang had offered to step down in a meeting with the team president, Chang Byung-soo, last Wednesday, and the management decided to accept his resignation offer.Yang, 52, replaced Jerry Royster as the Giants' manager in October 2010. Royster, the first Americ

(Yonhap News) -- The SK Wyverns got past the Samsung Lions 4-1 Monday to even the ongoing South Korean baseball championship series.In Game 4 of the Korean Series at Munhak Stadium here, west of Seoul, Park Jae-sang and Choi Jeong blasted back-to-back home runs in the fourth and the bullpen held the opponents to two hits over the final four innings for the home team Wyverns. They have now won two straight after losing the first two in this best-of-seven affair.This is the third straight Korean S

DETROIT (AP) ― Marco Scutaro singled home the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3 on Sunday night to complete a four-game sweep and win their second World Series title in three years.Ryan Theriot, who went hitless for St. Louis in Game 7 of last year’s Series, singled softly into right field off Phil Coke opening the 10th.Brandon Crawford sacrificed, nearly bunting the ball past Coke. Angel Pagan struck out and Scutaro singled into short c