On April 7, the opening game of the 2012 Korean professional baseball league was held. The fact that all the seats were sold out at the opening game shows how much Korean fans love baseball. The Korean professional baseball league is 30 years old this year. Although the history is shorter than Major League Baseball in the U.S.A. or Japanese professional baseball, Korean fans’ affection for baseball is as big as other countries. There are lots of attractions like the cheering culture and events in the baseball park. This article gives information about the Korean professional baseball league.
Korean Professional Baseball Teams
In 1982, the first game of the Korean professional baseball league was held in Dongdaemun Stadium. 6 teams, MBC Cheong-ryong, the Samsung Lions, the Lotte Giants, the OB Bears, the Haitai Tigers, and the Sammi Superstars, participated in the first league. Some of these teams changed names or were disbanded. Furthermore, some other teams were established. Samsung Lions
The Samsung Lions were established in 1982 when Korean professional baseball started. Their hometown is Daegu, and they have not changed their name or hometown since they were established, so they have the longest history. Samsung Lions are called a “gritty baseball team.” That’s because when their players are losing to an opponent, they do not feel frustrated. Instead, they just concentrate on the game, and finally they usually win the game. Samsung Lions have won the Korean Series 5 times: 1985, 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2011. Furthermore, they have been second more times than any other team. This year, Lee Seung-yuop, who played with the Yomiuri Giants, one of the best teams in Japan, and whom most Daegu citizens love, came back. SK Wyverns
The SK Wyverns were launched in 2000, and their hometown is Incheon. The results of the team were bad at the beginning, but nowadays they have good results: they won the league in 2007, 2008, and 2010. The SK Wyverns’ aim is to reward fans with good results. One day, they printed “팬사랑” (love fan) instead of players’ names on their uniforms. However, they always prefer stable handling of the game because they pursue only winning, so other teams’ fans dislike their playing style. Even if they are winning, they use good pitchers to play the game safely. Lotte Giants
The Lotte Giants also have a long history. They were established at the same time as the Samsung Lions in 1982. Their hometown is Busan. They won the league twice, in 1984 and 1992, but since then they haven’t had good results. However, they have the most passionate local fans. Most Busan citizens love baseball and the Lotte Giants. Furthermore, they have a unique cheering culture. First, they use newspapers as cheering sticks instead of plastic air sticks. Second, they put orange colored plastic bags on their heads at the beginning of the eighth inning and sing “Busan Seagull” together to intimidate the other team and its fans. Baseball Parks
There are baseball parks for each team. Korean baseball parks don’t have the best facilities compared with other countries, but they have unique features that inspire more fun watching baseball games. Munhak Baseball Stadium
Munhak Baseball Stadium was constructed in 2002 in Incheon. It has the best facilities compared with the other teams’ parks and it can accommodate 27,877 people. The seats are divided into 10 types, so people choose their seat according to their tastes. The most unique seat type is the E-mart Barbecue Zone. This is the only zone in Korea in which people can barbecue and eat meat watching a game. Second, in the green zone, you can watch comfortably with any pose you want like a natural park because there is no seat, only a lawn. In this zone, you just sit on a mat. For this reason, the green zone is the first to sell out. 2012 Korean Baseball League
The Korean baseball league begins in April. The regular league, in which eight teams have 133 games, ends in September. However, four teams advance to the post season which is played from October to November. The post season is held after the regular league and has games between the top-ranked four teams. The third team and fourth team in the regular league play semifinals. The winning team in the semifinals plays a play-off with the second team in the regular league. The wining team in the play-off plays the first team in the regular league in the Korean Series. The winning team in the Korean Series wins the cup. Tips for enjoying a baseball game 1. Choose your favorite team
If you have a team to cheer for, the game is more interesting. When you choose your favorite team, you may think of your hometown, but it is not necessary. The team which first makes you interested is a good team for you. However, the most important thing in choosing a team is to choose a team which you like. 2. Enjoy the cheering culture
Baseball is a sport in which nine hitters are at bat, but there is a tenth hitter. That is the spectators and cheer leaders who help make games exciting. Enjoy the exciting atmosphere of the baseball park with the mascots of each team and cheerleaders who liven up the atmosphere of the ball park.
The game is not everything in a baseball game. In a baseball park, you can cheer a team with many people, catch a home run ball, and watch players firsthand. These things make the baseball game more interesting and people feel more thrilled. Just go to a baseball park to watch a game with your friends or family. If you cheer a team with people and just enjoy the baseball game, then you will want to go again.
