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Baseball In South Korea
Baseball is believed to have been introduced to Korea in 1905 by American missionaries during the Korean Empire, after which it gradually attained prominence. After the division of the Korean Peninsula into North Korea and South Korea in 1945 and the further destabilisation of the Korean War from 1950–53, baseball has become one of the most popular sports in South Korea. North Korea, under isolationist leadership, does not have the same level of investment in baseball as South Korea. There are 10 professional teams in South Korea's KBO League. Baseball season runs from March to October. History Before the Korean war American missionaries brought baseball to Korea in the 19th century. In 1896, U.S. Marines played exhibitions against teams of Americans expatriates and the Seoul Athletic Club. The sport flourished in the period of Japanese rule, though ethnic Koreans faced playing restrictions, as baseball was seen as a potential tool of Korean nationalism. During the Japane ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Babe Ruth
George Herman "Babe" Ruth (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional Baseball in the United States, baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", he began his MLB career as a star left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, but achieved his greatest fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. Ruth is regarded as one of the greatest sports heroes in Culture of the United States, American culture and is considered by many to be the greatest baseball player of all time. In 1936, Ruth was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Baseball Hall of Fame as one of its "1936 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, first five" inaugural members. At age seven, Ruth was sent to Cardinal Gibbons School (Baltimore, Maryland), St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a Reform school, reformatory where he was mentored by Brother Matthi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hee-seop Choi
Hee-seop Choi (; ; ; born March 16, 1979) is a South Korean former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Florida Marlins, and Los Angeles Dodgers and in the KBO League for the Kia Tigers. He was the first Korean-born position player to play in the major leagues. Early life and amateur career Choi was born in Yeongam County, South Jeolla Province, South Korea on March 19, 1979. He graduated from Gwangju Jeil High School in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1998. He attended Korea University in 1998 and was a member of the South Korea national baseball team that finished second in the 1998 Baseball World Cup. He was scouted and signed by Leon Lee, the father of former major league first baseman Derrek Lee. Coincidentally, he later was traded to the Marlins for Lee. Professional career Chicago Cubs Beginning in , Choi spent four seasons in the Cubs minor league system and was considered to be one of the organization's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional baseball league in the world. Each team plays 162 games per season, with Opening Day traditionally held during the first week of April. Six teams in each league then advance to a four-round Major League Baseball postseason, postseason tournament in October, culminating in the World Series, a best-of-seven championship series between the two league champions first played in 1903. MLB is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. Formed in 1876 and 1901, respectively, the NL and AL cemented their cooperation with the National Agreement in 1903, making MLB the oldest major professional sports league in the world. They remained le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Founded in 1883 in Brooklyn, New York, the team joined the NL in 1890 as the Brooklyn Bridegrooms and used other monikers before settling as the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1932. From the 1940s through the mid-1950s, the Dodgers developed a fierce crosstown Dodgers-Yankees rivalry, rivalry with the New York Yankees as the two clubs faced each other in the World Series seven times, with the Dodgers losing the first five matchups before defeating them to win the franchise's first title in 1955 World Series, 1955. The Dodgers made history by breaking the baseball color line in 1947 with the debut of Jackie Robinson, the first African American to play in the Major Leagues since 1884. Another major milestone was reached in 1956 when Don Newcombe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chan Ho Park
Chan Ho Park (; ; born June 30, 1973) is a South Korean former professional baseball pitcher. Park was the first South Korean-born player in MLB history, and the first South Korean player to be named an MLB All-Star. He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball (MLB), the Orix Buffaloes of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO League. As of 2023, he has the most career wins of any Asia-born pitcher in history (124), having passed Hideo Nomo for that distinction in . During his playing days, Park stood tall, weighing . Early life and career in South Korea Chan Ho Park was born in Gongju, South Korea, on June 30, 1973. As a high school player in South Korea, he won team Most Valuable Player honors three consecutive seasons at Gongju High School in Gongju, South Korea. He also was named the MVP at four national prep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Korea Baseball Championship
The KBO League () is a professional baseball league in South Korea. The league comprises ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most successful team, having won 12 of the 43 championships. In comparison with American Major League Baseball, ESPN reports that the KBO level of play "appears to be somewhere between Double-A and Triple-A, on average, though the best players are more likely to be MLB-quality than your typical Double-A league." Historically, the KBO is known for its vocal and exuberant fan base,Roscher, Liz"A KBO primer: Here's what you need to know to enjoy the return of baseball in South Korea,"''Yahoo! Sports'' (May 1, 2020). as well as the widespread practice of bat flips (''ppa-dun'' (), a portmanteau of the "first syllables of the words for 'bat' and 'throw'") by hitters after striking what they think will be a home run. In the KBO, the bat flipping traditio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sammi Superstars
The Hyundai Unicorns () were a South Korean professional baseball team based in Suwon. They were a member of the KBO League. The Unicorns won the KBO championship four times (1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004). The Unicorns were dissolved after the 2007 season. Hyundai Unicorns' players and staff were signed in a takeover deal and became the Heroes Baseball Club. The Unicorns and the Heroes have no historical links, although the new team consisted mostly of former Unicorns players. History Sammi Superstars The franchise was founded in 1982 as one of the original six teams in the Korea Baseball Organization. Owned by Sammi Steel Co., Ltd., the team was called the Sammi Superstars, and was based in Incheon. The 1983 team featured one of the most remarkable pitching seasons in modern history. Japanese import Hiroaki Fukushi, dubbed "Jang Myeong-bu" in the KBO League, pitched in 60 of the team's 100 games, completing a record 36 of them, with five shutouts. He threw 427-1/3 innings, f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Haitai Tigers
The Kia Tigers () are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982 and based in the southwestern city of Gwangju. Until 2001, they were known as the Haitai Tigers. The Tigers are members of the KBO League and are the most successful team in Korean baseball, having won the Korean Series championship twelve times with a perfect 12–0 record. Their home stadium is Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju. After the success of the 1980s and 1990s, the fortunes of the team began to turn, resulting in them finishing bottom of the league for the first time in 2005, and again in 2007. In 2009, however, the Tigers won the 2009 KBO season and the 2009 Korean Series. History Haitai Tigers was the third professional baseball team to be created in South Korea, after the OB Bears and MBC Chungyong. They were founded on January 30, 1982, with 14 players. Kim Dong-yeob, the first manager of the team, was fired after just one month, and Jo Chang-soo took over his position and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
OB Bears
The Doosan Bears () are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul. Founded in 1982, they are a member of the KBO League. The Bears have won six Korean Series titles (1982, 1995, 2001, 2015, 2016, and 2019) and play their home games at Seoul's Jamsil Baseball Stadium. History The club was founded in Daejeon in as the OB Bears, with the Oriental Brewery as their owners. OB Bears were the first team to be founded in the KBO League. The Doosan Group initially wanted a base in Seoul from 1982, as their company was founded in Seoul and had no connection to Chungcheong Province. But since there was no corporation that could establish a baseball team in Daejeon, Doosan agreed to play in Daejeon for three years before returning to Seoul. In , the team moved to their current home in Seoul. The OB Bears were officially renamed the Doosan Bears in , after Oriental Brewery was sold to InBev and the Doosan Group assumed ownership. The Bears won the inaugural Korean Series in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Samsung Lions
The Samsung Lions () are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in the southeastern city of Daegu and are members of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Daegu Samsung Lions Park. They have won the Korean Championship eight times, and also finished as runners-up on eleven occasions. The Samsung Lions are the first team to win four consecutive Korean Series titles (2011–2014), and are also the first team to win the regular season league title for five consecutive years (2011–2015). History The Samsung Lions were founded in 1982 as one of the original six KBO League teams. They won their first championship in 1985, going 40-14-1 in the first half and 37-18 in the second half for a total of 77–32 for the best one-season winning percentage in KBO League history (a record that still stands). The 1985 team had two 25-game-winners on their staff, Kim Si-jin and Kim ll-young; as the Lions were winners of both half-season pennants that year, no ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
