Get Your LIVE Baseball Fix: ESPN to Air KBO Games Starting Late Tonight

PRESS RELEASE – ESPN today announced it has reached an agreement with Eclat Media Group regarding the KBO League – South Korea’s most popular sports league – to exclusively televise six, live regular-season games per week in the U.S. starting with Opening Day – NC Dinos vs. Samsung Lions – on Tuesday, May 5, at 1 a.m. ET / Monday, May 4, at 10 p.m. PT.

KBO to Start Playing May 5

The South Korean baseball league announced it will start its delayed season on May 5, and wasted no time getting preseason games going.  The teams will play initially without fans.  Read more here.

Independent Pro Ball Taking Root in South Korea

Baseball has a long history is South Korea.  The professional Korea Baseball Organization has been around since 1982.  Relatively new to the country is independent baseball in form of the Korea Independent Baseball Association (KIBA) and affiliated Gyeonggi-do Challenge Baseball League (GCBL).  Read more here and here.

South Korean Baseball Culture: Dance Moves and Booming Cheers

Drumbeats roar and electric music plays as people dressed in uniforms swing to the rhythm together.  At first, it may seem like a rock concert, but this is actually what a South Korean baseball game is all about.  Read more and watch ABC news report here.

A Taste of Ballpark Food in Korea

Hot dogs and nachos are often associated with baseball in the United States.  For Korean baseball fans, however, the range of options is far wider.  Read more and view photos here.

Heroes Strike Domed-Stadium Deal

The Nexen Heroes (Korea Baseball Organization) on Monday reached an agreement in principle with Seoul Metropolitan Government to move into South Korea’s first domed baseball stadium next season.  The Heroes, one of three Seoul-based KBO clubs, will relocate from Mokdong Stadium to Gocheok Sky Dome for two seasons starting in 2016.  Read more here.

Councilman Throws Eggs at Mayor Over Baseball Stadium Location

Changwon City Councilman Kim Sung-il threw two eggs at Mayor Ahn Sang-soo over Ahn’s decision to relocate the construction site for the NC Dinos’ baseball stadium from its originally planned location in Kim’s Jinhae District to another area.  Read more and see photo here.  Watch video here.

KBO’s Kia Tigers to Open New Ballpark

The Korea Baseball Organization’s (KBO) Kia Tigers will open the new Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on Saturday against the Doosan Bears.  Read more here. Watch the Tigers v.s. Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in 2013.

Gwangju-Kia Champions Field Rendering

MLB Consultant Looks Over KBO Ballparks

Murray Cook, Major League Baseball’s head field and ballpark consultant, was in South Korea last week at the invitation of the Korea Baseball Organization to conduct reviews on their facilities and establish maintenance guidelines that will lead to an overall increase in standards.  Read more here.