‘Three in a row’ Hong Gun-hee’s Musamaloo crisis, Park Chi-kook’s ‘Nansae hero’

For the third straight day, Doosan Bears closer Hong Gun-hee faltered on the mound. With a 2-0 lead, she gave up three straight hits and faced the bases loaded. A clutch situation. Doosan sent Park Chi-guk (25) to the mound, and he became the protector of the team’s victory.

Doosan won its 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League home game against the Hanwha Eagles 2-1 on Monday at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, behind an eight-inning no-hitter by Raul Alcantara and Hong Seong-ho’s first career hit.

But the highlight of the game came in the ninth inning. Just when everyone thought Doosan would win, closer Hong Gun-hee faltered and Park Chi-guk came to the rescue.

Park has been an all-around performer this season, boasting the most appearances on the team. On this day, it looked like she was going to get the night off, as Alcantara took her to the brink of a save situation and handed her the baton.

2-0 lead. Doosan turned to Hong Gun-hee. With set-up man Chung Chul-won down in the secondary, he had pitched the last two games in the ninth inning to get the save in clutch situations, and while he was tired, there was no other option.

Of course, he didn’t expect his fears to be realized. Hong Gun-hee was hit by pinch-hitter Kim Tae-yeon, followed by Moon Hyun-bin and Jung Eun-won. It was almost like they were lucky that they were all just singles.

With a two-run lead and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, what card can you pull out when your closer falters? Manager Lee Seung-yeop had faith in Park Chi-kook. At the top of the order is Noh Si-hwan, who is batting .459 in his last 10 games. He even went 2-for-2 against Park this season.

It was more of a gamble, but it paid off. Park’s 123-kilometer-per-hour slider was hard to hit, and Noh couldn’t get a good look at it, and the ball went to the shortstop. The ball bounced around second base and reached first base ahead of the runner. Two outs and a run scored on the play. It was a best-case scenario for Doosan.

Second and third. Up to bat was Hanwha’s hard-hitting Chae Eun-sung, who also had good memories of Park Chi-guk, going 1-for-2 against him this season.

Park Chi-guk boldly took a pitch. On a 1-1 pitch, a 144-kilometer-per-hour fastball spun around Chae’s bat, but she couldn’t get it out of the infield. It was Park’s second save of the season (2-6). He was perfect when his team needed him the most.

After the game, coach Lee Seung-yeop said, “Ace Alcantara’s perfect pitch led to the victory,” and praised Park’s guts for saving the game in the ninth inning with one run.

“I would like to apologize to Hong Gun-hee, who silently took the mound in the ninth inning for the third consecutive day, and thank her for showing responsibility as a pitching coach even though she had a high pitch count for the second day in a row.” It was hard to think of a card other than Hong Gun-hee, so coach Lee Seung-yup can’t help but be proud of Park Chi-guk for saving the team with his unexpected performance.안전놀이터

“Because of the melatonin pills (sleeping pills)…” plea of the quarterfinal defeated Tsitsipas.

Stefanos Tsitsipas (#5-Greece), who was upset by Carlos Alcaraz (#1-Spain) in the quarterfinals of the French Open men’s singles, claimed that his sleep habits were disrupted by the competition schedule and that taking melatonin pills (sleeping pills) and taking naps adversely affected his performance.

Tsitsipas lost her quarterfinal match against Alcaraz 0-3 (2-6, 1-6, 6<5>-7) in a night match at Roland Garros in Paris, France on June 6 (local time). The first two sets were so lopsided in favor of Alcaraz that it was hardly a matchup between the No. 1 and No. 5 players. To say that Alcaraz was “played” would be an understatement, especially in the second set, where Tsitsipas was overwhelmed by Alcaraz with just three winners and 13 unforced errors.

“The first two sets weren’t that fun to play, I wasn’t completely in shape, I felt like I was sleeping in some ways,” he said in his post-match press conference, according to Fox News, Tennis.com, and others.

Cicpas explained that his biggest problem was sleeping too much before the 8:30 p.m. start time.

Chichipas admitted that Alcaraz played very well. However, when it came to his own physical condition, he said that several night matches in the previous rounds had disrupted his usual sleeping habits, and that the medication and naps he took to combat the accumulated fatigue had taken a toll on his performance.

In fact, Chichipas played the previous two matches on the Susan Lenglen Court as the last match of the day.

“In the future, I’m going to try to avoid taking melatonin pills and napping before matches because it definitely doesn’t seem to work,” he said. 먹튀검증

“The schedule has been a little bit difficult the last few days. I’ve had a couple of night matches, not very late, but late enough to mess up my sleep schedule,” he said, adding, “Sleep is very important and recovery is the most important thing when you’re playing and competing in these big slams.”

Tsitsipas recalled another time he took a melatonin pill and napped before a match against Novak Djokovic at the 2019 Paris Masters, where he also suffered a lopsided 1-6, 2-6 defeat.

“I think melatonin really likes 1s and 2s,” Tsitsipas joked bitterly.

Kim Sun-hyung mentions ‘old people’ to Choi Joon-yong taunt, “How old are you?”

Professional basketball team Seoul SK’s Kim Sun-hyung responded to Choi Joon-yong’s “old people” taunt after he left for KCC in Jeonju by parodying a line from the Netflix series “The Glory.

“They say they are old people, but they have two MVPs (Most Valuable Players),” Kim said at a joint press conference with Oh Se-geun at the KBL Center in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Aug. 8. “They were also talking about age, and I remembered a line from The Glory that I watched recently. I want to say, ‘How long will you be young? Will you be young next year?'” he said.

Choi Jun-yong, who played for SK before moving to KCC, became a hot topic when he made a remark at his induction ceremony on March 22 that provoked his parent team, SK.

At the time, Choi said, “The team with me is better than after the championship. Without me, SK is not a favorite. Now KCC is the favorite,” and declared, “SK will push with ‘old men’ (meaning a team with many older players), but we will push with youth.”

This was a jab at SK, who had just signed Oh Se-geun, who is in his mid-30s, after Kim Sun-hyung.

In response, Kim fired back by parodying a line from Park Yeon-jin’s character in The Glory.

“The answer is for the Giants to have two MVPs,” said Kim Sun-hyung, “I think it’s disrespectful to take shots at teammates who have played together for five years. I hope the fans and my teammates don’t get hurt.”

Kim Sun-hyung, who laughed off the ‘mannequin defense’ jibe from Changwon LG’s Lee Kwan-hee last season, said, “No matter what you say, there’s no harm in it. It’s another part of the fun of being a professional,” he laughed.

Oh Se-geun said he would overcome the “old man” label with his skills.

He said, “It’s a burden to just reminisce. I will continue to work hard. It’s obvious that I’m getting older, but apart from that, I have to work hard and do well in terms of how I approach the game, how I prepare, etc. I will do my best to overcome the pressure.” 메이저놀이터

SK’s opponent with Kim Sun-hyung and Oh Se-geun will be KCC, who took Choi Jun-yong.

“Se-geun is here, but I think Jun-yong will have to go and fight,” Kim said. “KT is also very strong, and LG will do well. “KT is very strong, and I think LG will do well.” “There will be a lot of teams competing for the lead, not just SK.

“Anger at Seo Jinyong Jintham SV? That’s not it…” Why the Little Prince ‘cringed’

“Congratulations on your 20th save. I couldn’t say it myself…”

SSG coach Kim Won-hyung (51) was seen on the broadcast screen getting angry after the previous day’s game against KIA. Seo Jin-yong (31)’s sweaty save seemed to be the reason. A day later, on the 8th, Kim Won-hyung explained.

Before the 2023 KBO League regular season game against KIA at the Gwangju-Kia Champions Field on the 8th, Kim Won-hyung laughed and said, “Another sweaty save,” and then said, “It’s not that, I was a little angry from Go Hyo-joon. I should have hit him, but he gave me a walk.”

He continued, “After the game, I told battery coach Jung Sang-ho, ‘Tell (Kim) Min-sik to stop making gestures to drop the (forked) ball.’ There is a part where I said it while laughing. That’s why coach Kim Min-jae laughed,” he added. 안전놀이터

The day before, SSG won a 9-8 thriller. They led 8-5 in the top of the seventh inning. In the bottom of the seventh, with the bases loaded, Ko Hyo-jun came on and gave up a walk to Socrates Brito and a double to Choi Hyung-woo.

He got Kim Sun-bin to ground out to second, allowing a runner to score from third to make it 8-6. He then gave up another walk to Ko Jong-wook. He was replaced by Noh Kyung-eun. Noh gave up an infield single to cut the deficit to 8-7.

In the top of the ninth, Kim Sung-hyun hit an RBI single to make it 9-7. Seo Jin-yong pitched the bottom of the ninth. He gave up a walk, a hit, a hit batsman, and a sacrifice fly to make it 9-8. Lee Woo-sung was hit by a pitch to load the bases again.

He struck out Kim Kyu-sung and induced Shin Beom-soo to ground out to second base to end the game with the tying run on base. It was a close game, but SSG won again. Seo earned his 20th save.

“I didn’t think it would happen yesterday,” Kim Won-hyung laughed. “I know he’s been doing well, but yesterday I told him to go for it even if he gets hit. He gave me a walk. I was a little angry.”

“Actually, I don’t know when the camera catches me. I don’t care. Instead, I know it’s going to catch me when something bad happens. I tell myself, ‘Keep a poker face,’ and yesterday I did a little bit after the match. If I was in trouble, I probably would have just gone in,” he laughed.

As for Seo Jinyong, he said, “He called me today to congratulate me, but I had a meeting in the middle, so I couldn’t talk to him. He said, “Congratulations,” and laughed, “It’s true.

“Yesterday during the match, I told the coaches, ‘I’ve seen it so many times, I’m not even nervous,'” he said. In fact, yesterday I was thinking about nine, and I thought, ‘Maybe today is not the day,’ but Seo Jinyong overcame it again,” he explained.

“You wonder why he’s like that, but if you think about it, it’s hard to throw on the mound. He’s handling the situation well. He’s throwing hard, but in the end, he’s throwing for the team. The team plays well because he doesn’t fall apart. I think the biggest credit goes to Jinyong Seo,” he said encouragingly.

I pitched hard for two days. No pitch on the eighth. Not even in the ballpark. “Seo Jin-yong, Noh Kyung-eun, and Ko Hyo-joon, I won’t even look at them today. They’re resting. I sent them with me when I moved the starting pitcher for the next game. I told them to rest,” he laughed again.

Italy has never beaten Asia in U-20 competition

Italy has never made it past Asia at the U-20 level.

The South Korea U-20 National Team will face Italy in the quarterfinals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2023 at the Estadio Ciudad de La Plata in La Plata, Argentina on Monday (Sept. 9).

South Korea defeated France 2-1 and drew with Honduras (2-2) and Gambia (0-0) before beating Ecuador (3-2) and Nigeria (1-0) in the round of 16 and quarterfinals to reach the last four.

It hasn’t been easy. Injuries, declining fitness, and a tight schedule have plagued Korea. But they have rallied around coach Kim Eun-joong and have shed the stigma of the ‘Valley Generation’ and are now one step away from ‘Again 2019’.

South Korea’s quarterfinal opponent is Italy. They beat Brazil in the ‘Group of Death’ to reach the round of 16 and have now reached the last four for the third time in a row, knocking out the likes of England and Colombia. With 11 goals scored and six conceded in five games, they are a team that is better on offense than defense.

However, Italy is a team that has never had much fun against Asia at the U-20 level. Since their first appearance at the 1977 tournament in Tunisia, the Azzurri have met the Asian nations a total of five times, with three draws and two losses. While the lack of a head-to-head record at the tournament is a factor, the lack of a win against Asia is a good thing for South Korea. 먹튀검증

Starting with a 0-0 draw against Iran in 1977, they lost 1-4 to South Korea in 1981, 1-2 to Syria in 2005, and then faced Japan back-to-back in 2017 and 2019, drawing both games (2-2, 0-0).

In an age group competition, where most of the players change from tournament to tournament, past records don’t mean much. In fact, South Korea’s 4-1 win over Italy was 42 years ago. Choi Soon-ho, the multi-goal scorer, is now the head coach of Suwon FC.

However, the psychological pressure will be a benefit to South Korea. Italy has never won a game against an Asian opponent, something that FIFA has also emphasized. Italy must be aware of this.

South Korea also defeated Italy in the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup round of 16 in extra time, with goals from Seol Ki-hyun and Choi Sung-hwan. North Korea defeated Italy at the 1966 World Cup in England with an early goal from Park Doo Ik. In many ways, Italy has a bad memory of South Korea.

In a tournament with young players, this history and variables can have a big impact. Italy can’t help but notice. Korea, and the Little Taeguk Warriors, deserve to capitalize on that.

It won’t be an easy matchup. But South Korea has overcome all odds to reach the quarterfinals. They have no reason to back down. We can only root for them to fight and win.

Gangwon FC loses 1-2 to Daejeon…7th consecutive game without a win

Gangwon FC extended its winless streak to seven matches with a loss to Daejeon Hana Citizen.

Kangwon, led by Choi Yong-soo, lost 1-0 to Daejeon Hana Citizen in the 17th round of the Hana One Q K League 1 2023 at Songam Sports Town Main Stadium in Chuncheon at 7:30 p.m. on July 7. It is Gangwon’s seventh consecutive game without a win (2 draws and 5 losses).

Chuncheon Sports Club youth players played as escort kids on the day. In honor of June’s Korean War Veterans Month, Jin Sung-gyun, president of the Gangwon Province chapter of the 6-25 Veterans Association, took the field.

Gangwon came out with a 3-4-3 formation. Kim Dae-won, Lee Jung-hyeop, and Gallego lined up in the back three, with Kim Jin-ho and Kang Ji-hoon at the left and right wingbacks. The center backs were Shin Min-woo and Han Hae-young, while the back three consisted of Yoon Seok-young, Kim Young-bin, and Lim Chang-woo. Yoo Sang-hoon started in goal.

Daejeon countered with a 3-4-3 formation. Thiago, Shin Sang-sang, and Leandro formed the back three, with Kim Young-wook and Joo Se-jong in the middle. The left and right wingbacks were Seo Young-jae and Oh Jae-seok, and the three backs were Anton, Kim Hyun-woo, and Kim Min-duk. Lee Chang-geun wore the goalkeeping gloves.

In the 14th minute, Shin Sang stole the ball from Yoon Seok-young inside the Lee Gangwon box and tried to shoot, but missed the goal. In the 27th minute, Daejeon scored the first goal. Leandro received a long ball on the counterattack, used his speed to get into the box, and sent an exquisite pass to Thiago, who slotted it home. In the first leg against Daejeon, Gangwon’s nightmare of Thiago and Leandro was repeated.

In the 37th minute, Joo Sae-jong’s corner kick was met by Kim Min-duk with a high header that went wide of the target. In the 42nd minute, Hankyoung beat the defense and attempted a left-footed mid-range shot that was saved by Lee Chang-geun. In the first half stoppage time, Leandro once again used his speed to break down the flank before crossing the ball to Thiago, who played the ball back to Shin Sang-sang, who had a shot on goal but couldn’t get enough power on his shot. The first half ended with a one-goal lead.

Kangwon made three changes at the start of the second half. He dropped Lee Jeong-hyeop, Gallego, and Kang Ji-hoon in favor of Park Sang-hyuk, Yang Hyun-joon, and Jung Seung-yong. Daejeon also brought on Kim In-gyun for Shin Sang-sang. In the first minute of the second half, Yang Hyun-joon made an aggressive run toward Jung Seung-yong’s cross, but was met by the defense.

Kangwon, who came out aggressively at the start of the second half, tied the game three minutes into the second half. A cross from the right was poorly handled by Kim In-gyun, allowing Park Sang-hyuk, who was in the box, to pick up the ball, and as he fell, his attempted shot hit the opposing defense and was sucked in where goalkeeper Lee Chang-geun couldn’t stop it. Park Sang-hyuk’s third goal of the league.

Having equalized, Gangwon’s momentum was unstoppable, and eight minutes into the second half, a cross from the right was met with a perfect header by Kim Dae-won. However, Lee Chang-geun made a super save, and Lee Min-woo’s subsequent shot was also blocked by Lee Chang-geun. In the ninth minute of the second half, Yang Hyun-joon’s cutback from the right side was met by Lee Min-woo, but his shot went over the bar.

Daejeon added a second goal in the 14th minute. Leandro’s cross was finished by Joo Se-jong with a high header. The goal was reviewed by VAR, but it was still recognized as a goal. Immediately after the goal, Kim Jin-ho made a daring penetration and tried to shoot, but was blocked by Lee Chang-geun.

In the 18th minute of the second half, Jung Seung-yong collected a rebound from a corner kick, but his shot went wide of the goal. In the 24th minute, Kim Young-wook took a direct shot at a long-range free kick but missed the target. Kangwon made a change in the 25th minute, removing Min-Seok and introducing Kim Dae-woo. In the 29th minute, Kim In-gyun took a shot on goal from a ball dropped by Thiago, but it was blocked by the defense. Daejeon took out Seo Young-jae and put in Byun Jun-soo.

In the 31st minute, Kim Dae-woo attempted a left-footed shot from a corner kick, but it hit the side netting. In the 40th minute, Gangwon brought on Hwang Moon-ki for Kim Jin-ho to strengthen their offense. In the 41st minute, Jung Seung-yong’s shot went wide of the goal. In the 45th minute, Daejeon substituted Lim Eun-soo for Kim Young-wook. 토토사이트

There were six minutes of stoppage time. Enough time to score a goal. Every minute was precious for Gangwon, but Daejeon players cleverly drew fouls to stall for time. In the final attack, Yang Hyun-joon won a free kick in a good position, but Kim Dae-won’s kick was blocked by the defense, and the game ended with a 1-2 Gangwon defeat.

Kim went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position in last-place San Diego’s 1-4 loss.

The Major Leagues have played just under 60 games as of July 7. That’s 38% of the 162-game season.

The most disappointing MLB team right now is the San Diego Padres of the National League West. They’re dead last in terms of payroll. The team’s $247.4 million payroll ranks third overall. However, their record is 28-33, good for fourth place in the NL West.

They lost the first game of a two-game short series against the Seattle Mariners 1-4 on July 7 (KST). They were held to just four hits. Went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. The lone run came in the bottom of the third inning on a bunt single by Kim with runners on first and second and a fumbled check-swinging grounder to first by Fernando Tatis Jr. Kim, batting leadoff, also went 0-for-3, dropping his batting average to .247.

Starter Joe Musgrove was pulled after five innings but did his job. He allowed one run on four hits with one walk and eight strikeouts, putting his team in position to win. However, he was unable to capitalize on his 5-0 shutout the day before.

Seattle capitalized on the San Diego bullpen, including Teoscar Hernandez’s 10th homer of the season in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 1-1 and Julio Rodriguez’s 11th solo shot of the season in the eighth, en route to a 4-1 victory.

The win in San Diego moved them to 30-30 after being swept in a three-game weekend series by the AL West-leading Texas Rangers to fall below .500. Starter Logan Gilbert improved to 4-3 with a 3.80 ERA over seven innings of three-hit ball with two walks and six strikeouts.

San Diego’s biggest problem has been its inability to hit with runners in scoring position. The bats have been silent with runners in scoring position, as evidenced by their 8-for-8 night. They are currently batting .194 with runners in scoring position. It’s the only team in the top 30. That’s a staggering .143 compared to the Texas Rangers’ .337, who have scored 10 or more runs 16 times this year. Texas is the only third-place team, a stark difference from San Diego.

The lethargic hitting with runners in scoring position is reflected in their record. The Rangers have lost three straight games this year. After their last three-game losing streak from April 30-May 2, they won just three games in a row. That’s why they can’t break the 5-win mark. 스포츠토토

The question is, when will San Diego’s rebound materialize, as the team has fallen off the face of the earth despite having All-Stars Fernando Tatis Jr, Manny Machado, Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts.

Kim-Minjae-Kasemir-Rashford line-up imminent…”Kim in Korea, won’t return to Napoli” (英媒体)

British media is also reporting that Kim Min-jae is heading to Manchester United.

Kim has had one of his best seasons in Serie A this season. After leaving Turkkiye Fenerbahçe to play in Italy, the home of defensive football, Kim was Napoli’s first-choice center back all season long, and he helped lead Napoli to their first league title in 33 years.

Along with the team’s title, he also earned top honors as an individual. The Serie A secretariat announced on its official website on Sunday that Kim was named the best defender in Serie A for the 2022-23 season. He was also named to the TOTS (Team of the season) list, which recognizes the best team of the season.

Unsurprisingly, many clubs were after him because of his buyout clause. Kim’s buyout clause is valid from July 1 to 15, when the summer transfer window opens, and while there’s no specific amount, it’s believed to be around €45 million ($62.7 billion).

Because of this, many clubs are targeting Kim. Manchester United, Manchester City, Newcastle United, and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have all expressed interest in Kim. Among them, Man United showed an active interest in Kim early on. They even sent a scout to Napoli, and in the second half of the season, they became more aggressive in their pursuit.

Kim Min-jae’s move to Man United has been accelerating recently. “Kim will go to Man United,” Salvatore Caiaza, one of the most reliable sources for Napoli news, told our partner station ‘Kiss Kiss Napoli’ on Friday. European soccer transfer market expert Fabrizio Romano also said that Man United had been interested in Kim Min-jae and had even sent a scout.

On July 7, Daniele Longo, a reporter for the Italian media outlet Calcio Mercato, said, “Kim Min-jae is one step closer to joining Manchester United.” Not only the Italian media, but also the English media have already confirmed that Kim Min-jae is going to Man United. The Daily Mail reported, “Kim has already negotiated a transfer with Manchester United and is believed to be close to an agreement. The player has already said goodbye to his Napoli teammates,” confirming his departure from Napoli.

The reason why the locals in England are so confident about Kim’s departure is because of United’s situation. The Red Devils are currently in the process of rebuilding their squad ahead of next season under manager Eric ten Hagg. In his first season in charge in 2022-23, United finished third in the league and won the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup). After a successful season, Van Gaal will be looking to sell off surplus resources and bring in new ones next season.

If Kim Min Jae’s move to United goes through, Van Gaal will have even more depth in his squad. Rafael Varane and Lisandro Martinez have been the main center back pairing for the Red Devils this season, but both have had injury issues, leaving the club in need of an additional center back. If Kim Min-jae is signed, United could have a core lineup of Kim Min-jae in defense, Casemiro in midfield, and Marcus Rashford in attack.

Meanwhile, local reports in England are convinced that Kim will leave Napoli once and for all. According to British outlet The Sun, “Napoli’s Kim Min-jae has bid farewell to the club. He will now take a short break in South Korea and then go to England, not Napoli.” Kim Min-jae arrived in South Korea on June 6 and is taking a short break. On the 15th, he will begin basic military training. After about a month of training, the transfer speculation is expected to intensify ahead of next season 메이저사이트.

“I would have felt sorry for the players”… Kim Eun-jung reveals the reason for her ‘4th place tears’

After the boys’ Taeguk Warriors advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Kim Eun-jung, who gave a tearful victory interview, explained the meaning of his tears.

According to News1 on July 7, Kim Eun-jung, who leads the South Korea U-20 national soccer team, spoke to reporters at the team’s training center in La Plata, Argentina.

The U-20 team will face Italy at 6 a.m. on the 9th for a ticket to the U-20 World Cup final. “(Advancing to the quarterfinals) is a valuable result that all the players here have worked hard to achieve,” said Kim, who is currently training for the quarterfinals.

He went on to explain that he gave the interview in tears after the U-20 World Cup quarterfinal against Nigeria (1-0 win). “The players didn’t have a lot of expectations, even though they were a ‘World Cup team’ in the process of preparing for the tournament,” Kim said. “Honestly, (the players) must have had some regrets…but they were not shy and faithfully followed the direction the coaching staff wanted, and I was grateful.”

At the last tournament, held in Poland in 2019, the team received a lot of attention due to the presence of star player Lee Kang-in (Mallorca), but Kim apologized to the players for not being able to create such an atmosphere at this tournament 토토사이트.

“I felt grateful in many other ways,” Kim said, “and even more so because the players knew the sincerity of the staff, who are their seniors, and gave more than 100 percent effort to the coaching part.”

“I think it’s good that our players can see the rewards of hard work,” he said, adding, “From now on, it’s a matter of who is more focused (in the game). If we keep doing what we’ve been doing in preparation, I think we’ll get good results.”

National team suspensions are out…WBC drinking ban ‘cotton-ball punishment’ controversy

Kim Kwang-hyun (SSG Landers), Lee Yong-chan (NC Dinos), and Chung Chul-won (Doosan Bears) have received community service and fines for drinking alcohol during the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). There were no national team suspensions or suspensions from the KBO League, leading to criticism that the cotton bat punishment was a slap on the wrist.

The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) held a punishment committee meeting at the Korea Baseball Hall Building in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on March 7 and decided to discipline the three players involved in the WBC drinking controversy based on Article 151 of the KBO’s rules, which states that they are to be disciplined for conduct that impairs dignity.

Kim Kwang-hyun, who visited an entertainment bar twice on March 7, when he traveled from Osaka to Tokyo, and on March 11, shortly after the WBC Japan game ended, was fined 80 hours of community service and 5 million won in sanctions. Jung Chul-won, who accompanied Kwang-hyun on March 11, and Lee Yong-chan, who visited the same bar with an acquaintance on the same day, were each sentenced to 40 hours of community service and a fine of 3 million won.

The KBO recently conducted its own investigation after the controversial drinking behavior of the team’s players surfaced on YouTube and in the media. The players submitted statements and were interviewed in person. We also checked with the entertainment establishments they were known to have visited, and found that Kim Kwang-hyun had consumed alcohol on two occasions and Jung Chul-won and Lee Yong-chan had consumed alcohol on one occasion during the official tournament. However, the three players did not consume alcohol on the night before the game.

The KBO ultimately decided to hold a punishment committee and imposed community service and financial penalties on the three KBO players for disrupting the dignity of the game.

The KBO stated in Article 151 of its rules that “appropriate sanctions such as disqualification, suspension of duties, suspension of participation activities, suspension of travel, imposition of sanctions, or warning may be imposed on a player who engages in behavior outside of the game that damages the dignity of the game and causes a social scandal.

However, the KBO did not punish the three players by suspending them from the KBO League or suspending their national team eligibility. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of the disciplinary action. The Korean Football Association (KFA) handed out one-year national team bans to four players who were caught drinking during the 2007 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup 스포츠토토.

The KBO said, “The punishment committee discussed the level of punishment, including suspension from the KBO League and suspension from the national team, but also decided that the community service punishment was severe enough. 80 hours and 40 hours are very long compared to previous discipline. We decided on a punishment that could be realistically applied to the players,” he explained.

As a result, Kim Kwang-hyun, Lee Yong-chan, and Jung Chul-won will be able to play in KBO games from the time they are eligible to register for the first team roster. Kim Kwang-hyun was removed from the first-team roster on the first day, and Lee Yong-chan and Jeong Chul-won were suspended on the second day. Kim Kwang-hyun will be eligible to return to the first team on the 11th, and Lee Yong-chan and Jung Chul-won on the 12th.

This also opens the way for them to continue playing for the national team. While Kim retired from the national team after the WBC and Lee is in his mid-30s and can no longer wear the Korean flag, Chung, who was born in 1999, is eligible for selection.

However, given the public outcry that followed the drinking scandal, it is inevitable that there will be some debate over whether the level of discipline is appropriate. Some have called it a slap on the wrist.

The lack of clarity on the penalties for drinking during the national team’s call-ups has been a stumbling block. Ahead of the committee’s meeting, some argued that “drinking is not a criminal offense, so it should be viewed as a social good” and that “there is insufficient legal grounds to punish the players”.

In response, the KBO apologized for its poor management of the national team and said it would “further refine the national team operating regulations to prevent recurrence.”