CHICAGO (AP) ― To Chicago Cubs fans, Ernie Banks was sunshine that cut through decades of darkness. To baseball players, he was the spirit of the game.His teammates loved him, and his list of admirers included President Barack Obama to Pearl Jam to athletes from all over the sports world.And they all got the same person, all the time.“Ernie was exactly what you saw,” said Don Kessinger, a shortstop who played with Banks in the 1960s. “He was a great ballplayer, a great teammate and a great frien

SURPRISE, Arizona (Yonhap) ― Park Byung-ho, the most feared slugger in South Korean baseball, said he would like to play in Major League Baseball some day.Park, who has launched 120 home runs in the past three seasons for the Nexen Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization, is eligible to be posted after the 2015 season with the Heroes’ blessing. His former Nexen teammate, shortstop Kang Jung-ho, signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates last week after getting posted, and Park, a year older than Kang

Fernando Rodney, the closer for the Seattle Mariners on a visit to South Korea, preached the value of hard work to be successful in baseball at a clinic for Little League players on Tuesday, saying that there is no shortcut to success.“You have to practice a lot, and it’s the only way you can get better,” the 37-year-old major league hurler told a throng of teenage players gathered at Songpa Little League Baseball Stadium in southeastern Seoul. “Just keep playing baseball. You never know who’s g

Kang Jung-ho to learn new position under old manager

PITTSBURGH (AP) ― Even though the Pittsburgh Pirates employ one of the largest analytics departments in baseball, they are not exactly sure how Kang Jung-ho’s outstanding statistics in South Korea will translate to the major leagues.They are willing to find out.Pittsburgh and the 27-year-old infielder finalized an $11 million, four-year contract on a busy day for the Pirates. The deal includes a $5.5 million club option for 2019 with a $1 million buyout.Meanwhile, closer Mark Melancon was among

INCHEON (Yonhap) ― South Korean pitcher Yang Hyeon-jong, who was honored as the top homegrown hurler in the nation’s top league last year, said Friday he is hoping for an even better season in 2015, both for himself and for his pitching brethren.Yang and his Korea Baseball Organization club, the Kia Tigers, left for their spring training site in Okinawa, Japan, on Friday. Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport, Yang said he wants to improve on his 2014 season.The 26-year-old led

INCHEON (Yonhap) ― With his dream of playing in Major League Baseball on hold, South Korean pitcher Kim Kwang-hyun said Thursday he has chosen only to look forward.Kim, a left-hander for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization, departed for the team’s spring training site in Florida with his teammates. Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport ahead of the flight, Kim said he will try to put his past disappointments behind him.“I’ve had some difficult times and I was at fi

INCHEON (Yonhap) ― On the verge of joining the Pittsburgh Pirates with his first Major League Baseball contract, South Korean shortstop Kang Jung-ho said Wednesday he is confident he can outplay the Bucs’ incumbent shortstop if given an opportunity.Kang left for Pittsburgh on Wednesday, a day after a U.S. report claimed that he and the Pirates had agreed to a four-year deal worth about $16 million. Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport, Kang insisted no deal was in place yet, bu

Kang Jung-ho signs four-year deal with Pittsburgh