KIA Tigers cheerleaders

Currently in Korean professional baseball it is standard practice to have four female cheerleaders and one male head cheerleader who has a whistle, microphone, and who does all the talking. While professional Japanese baseball teams have cheerleaders too, they are usually positioned in the outfield seats, and their voices aren’t running through speakers. In Gwangju the cheerleaders are basically on the dugout with a rack of speakers behind them so it can be really loud. Even though I didn’t understand a word he said, I will be able to remember his voice forever.

The V11 on his uniform is for “Victory 11” as the Tigers have won the Korean baseball championship a country-best ten times. I thought this was a KIA Tigers thing, but when I went to the Lotte Giants game in Busan, their head cheerleader had a V3 on his uniform. It looked pretty pathetic to wear such a thing when your competition is sporting a V with a much higher number.

Posted on August 14th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: baseball, gwangju, kia tigers, Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED Telephoto Lens, Nikon D600. Comments Off on Korean baseball cheerleaders

Sajik Baseball Stadium – Busan, South Korea

One of the problems with watching live baseball in Korea is the amount of netting they put up around the field. One time at a game, when I was sitting next to a Korean who could speak English, I asked him why all the netting and whistles with every foul ball. He told me that a video of a fan getting hit in the eye with a foul ball (and subsequently losing eyesight in that eye) in the USA made the rounds in Korea and it freaked people out. At the KIA Tigers games I purchase seats a little above the netting so that the net doesn’t obstruct my view. That wasn’t possible at Sajik Baseball Stadium as nearly every seat has a net-obstructed view. I couldn’t take it anymore after a few innings so I headed down to one of the first few rows far down the foul line which were the only seats without a net in front of them. There was an usher checking tickets to get into this section, but I just walked past him. He figured it was easier to let me go then try to have a conversation with me in English.

Posted on August 12th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: baseball, busan, Nikon 24mm f/2.8 AF-D nikkor lens, Nikon D600, panorama, photomerge, sajik baseball stadium. Comments Off on Sajik Baseball Stadium (사직야구장)

Kim Jae-Hyun (김재현) steals second

As I mentioned elsewhere, I went to Busan, in part, to check out Sajik Baseball Stadium (사직야구장). I saw the SK Wyverns take on the Lotte Giants. To be perfectly honest, I was a bit disappointed.

Wiki calls Sajik Baseball Stadium the “mecca for Korean baseball”, but I find the games in Gwanju at Mudeung Baseball Stadium (RIP in 2013) to be much more fun. Everyone is closer to the field. The seats are closer together. The people are friendlier, and even though there aren’t nearly as many fans in attendance, they somehow sound louder. New ballparks with all of their frills just can’t capture that old ballpark feel.

The KIA Tigers fans are all anxiously awaiting the opening of their new stadium for next season, but they may be losing something, something magical, in the move from their old digs.

Posted on August 5th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: baseball, busan, Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED Telephoto Lens, Nikon D600, sajik baseball stadium, sports photography. Comments Off on Called safe

Henry Sosa of the KIA Tigers

It feels like I’m stabbing my best friend in the back by saying this, but watching professional baseball in Korea (한국프로야구) is second to none. The players may not be as good as those found in Japan or as those playing in MLB, but watching a game with the crazy fans in Korea is a fantastic experience. Perhaps it is in part because I am in Gwangju and the fans for the local KIA Tigers are the craziest. For instance, when I watch a KIA Tigers away game on TV, the fans for the visiting KIA Tigers team are louder than those for the home team. When do you see that in the USA or even Japan?

Today’s photo is of Henry Sosa, formerly of the Houston Astros, who is one of two foreign players on the Tigers. Korea, like Japan, limits its foreign players to two per team. Unlike Japan, most, if not all, of the foreigners in Korea are pitchers. I have yet to see a single position player. Sometimes the starting pitching in a Korean Professional Baseball game will be foreigner against foreigner. Why? I don’t know. The Japan leader board for hitting is filled with foreigners, year after year. Josh Whitesell, Dae-ho Lee, Wily Mo Pena, Jose Ortiz, Casey McGehee, Alex Cabrera, and others have put up big numbers in Japan in recent years, but for some reason Korea seems to sign only pitchers. Maybe they feel like pitching is the area they need the most help?

Posted on July 30th, 2013 under Korea. Tags: baseball, gwangju, kia tigers, Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED Telephoto Lens, Nikon D600. Comments Off on KIA Tigers

Gwangju’s new baseball stadium

Let me introduce you to my bike while in Gwangju. This is Squeaky. I call my bike Squeaky because it squeaks, a lot. Squeaky isn’t a comfortable bike to ride. Nor does it do well on even mild inclines. But I’m still glad to have Squeaky as it allows me the opportunity to see much more of Gwangju than I otherwise would.

The big stadium behind the river is still under construction. It is scheduled to open for the next baseball season in 2014. They haven’t named it yet. At the KIA Tigers game I went to fans were given stickers to place on the name of the stadium they preferred. Since I can’t read or understand Korean, I’m not sure what name I voted for, but I was thanked for voting.

Posted on July 2nd, 2013 under Korea. Tags: baseball, gwangju, kia tigers, Nikon 24-120mm f/4 VR G lens, Nikon D600, panorama, photomerge. Comments: 1