A local court on Friday slapped a suspended sentence with probation on a baseball pitcher for fixing games.
The Changwon District Court sentenced NC Dinos pitcher Lee Tae-yang, who was indicted on charges of fixing games in the Korea Baseball Organization, to a 10-month jail term with a stay of execution for two years. The court also ordered the 23-year-old right-hander to forfeit 20 million won ($17,940) and serve 200 hours of community service.
"Match fixing from pro athletes can't be accepted because it's an act of self-negation," the court said. "The defendant received high expectation from fans as a prospect of the NC Dinos club, but he tore down the trust."
The court, however, said it took into account that Lee confessed to the charges raised and actively cooperated in the investigation before the ruling.
Lee was indicted without physical detention for fixing games last season in the KBO. The prosecutors said he fixed plays in four starts, including a game against the Kia Tigers on May 29, 2015. They said Lee deliberately gave up a run in the first inning and later received 20 million won from the broker when he succeeded.
The broker, who is only identified with his surname Cho, was sentenced to a year in prison by the court.
Lee is a six-year pro that had be playing for the Dinos, which are based in Changwon. He won a career-high 10 games last year and has gone 2-2 with a 4.21 ERA in 10 appearances this season. He last pitched on June 24.
The KBO has yet to mete out its punishment for Lee, but considering precedent, the former Nexen Heroes player is likely to receive a lifetime ban. In 2012, the KBO slapped two pitchers for the LG Twins, Park Hyun-joon and Kim Sung-hyun, with lifetime bans for match fixing. The court had handed down suspended jail terms and fines for their roles in rigging games. (Yonhap)
