Following KBO as an English speaker

Goody · 09-24-2020, 04:25 PM

I live in Korea (US Expat) so I would like to share at least what little I know and has helped me navigate following baseball here. (I am surprised there are not more posts in this forum after KBO was the first league to start up during COVID and they were playing it in the states a few months ago)

Its more like old school small ball. Good contact hitters but not a lot of power (but they still have some guys with pop of course... exacerbated by the subpar pitching at times). The pitching talent seems to be thinner than the hitting talent, overall.

http://www.mykbo.net/ Is the link I use for information. He runs a facebook group with the same name. He even appeared on some of the American broadcasts of the KBO, talking to the American commentators during the game. This is just a guy running the page for his own (and our) enjoyment and to share KBO with everyone. His website is very well set up for viewing recent scores, standings and whatnot, in English.

I especially like the foreign players tracker page, where you can see what players you might recognize who have gone to continue their careers in Korea. Dustin Nippert is no longer playing for the Doosan Bears (Seoul), but when I first returned to Korea and saw my first game here... he was one of the most popular players. I saw many Korean fans wearing his jersey.

I wish I had been to more games, but I have only caught that one between the LG Twins and Doosan Bears at Jamsil stadium. It is totally different from catching an American baseball game. (I've been to games at the Kingdome and Safeco in Seattle, Camden in Baltimore, Nationals Park in DC, and Progressive Field in Cleveland). They have full cheerleader teams with the mascot in a section near the dugout. They have songs they sing when on offense. its rowdy, its loud every at bat, from the fans. Its a blast.

There are fast food and mini-mart chains INSIDE the stadium. Same prices pretty much as on the street. They sell beer and snacks. You can buy the same products you'd buy outside the stadium and just bring them to your seat like you smuggled them in. There's a guy with a keg on his back going around to fill your plastic cup if you don't want to get up.

There are funny games because the defense is a bit shoddy sometimes (but its getting better). The umps are sometimes suspect on hard calls (I hope they get better). The relief pitching is usually pretty horrible. There can be some wild games.

Also, they can end in a tie. And that's just weird.

Goody · 09-24-2020, 04:31 PM

Once again, http://www.mykbo.net/

He is the bridge between Korean Baseball and English speaking fans.

09-24-2020, 04:25 PM	#1
Goody Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: South Korea Posts: 3,530	Following KBO as an English speaker I live in Korea (US Expat) so I would like to share at least what little I know and has helped me navigate following baseball here. (I am surprised there are not more posts in this forum after KBO was the first league to start up during COVID and they were playing it in the states a few months ago) Its more like old school small ball. Good contact hitters but not a lot of power (but they still have some guys with pop of course... exacerbated by the subpar pitching at times). The pitching talent seems to be thinner than the hitting talent, overall. http://www.mykbo.net/ Is the link I use for information. He runs a facebook group with the same name. He even appeared on some of the American broadcasts of the KBO, talking to the American commentators during the game. This is just a guy running the page for his own (and our) enjoyment and to share KBO with everyone. His website is very well set up for viewing recent scores, standings and whatnot, in English. I especially like the foreign players tracker page, where you can see what players you might recognize who have gone to continue their careers in Korea. Dustin Nippert is no longer playing for the Doosan Bears (Seoul), but when I first returned to Korea and saw my first game here... he was one of the most popular players. I saw many Korean fans wearing his jersey. I wish I had been to more games, but I have only caught that one between the LG Twins and Doosan Bears at Jamsil stadium. It is totally different from catching an American baseball game. (I've been to games at the Kingdome and Safeco in Seattle, Camden in Baltimore, Nationals Park in DC, and Progressive Field in Cleveland). They have full cheerleader teams with the mascot in a section near the dugout. They have songs they sing when on offense. its rowdy, its loud every at bat, from the fans. Its a blast. There are fast food and mini-mart chains INSIDE the stadium. Same prices pretty much as on the street. They sell beer and snacks. You can buy the same products you'd buy outside the stadium and just bring them to your seat like you smuggled them in. There's a guy with a keg on his back going around to fill your plastic cup if you don't want to get up. There are funny games because the defense is a bit shoddy sometimes (but its getting better). The umps are sometimes suspect on hard calls (I hope they get better). The relief pitching is usually pretty horrible. There can be some wild games. Also, they can end in a tie. And that's just weird.

09-24-2020, 04:31 PM	#2
Goody Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: South Korea Posts: 3,530	Once again, http://www.mykbo.net/ He is the bridge between Korean Baseball and English speaking fans.