CARACAS (AP) ― Former major league pitcher Ugueth Urbina returned to baseball after serving 7 1/2 years in prison for the attempted murder of five workers on his family’s ranch. Before taking the field in his native Venezuela to play for the Lions of Caracas, Urbina described himself as “more mature” and said he was “very excited to play baseball again.” “I’m excited to be here,” Urbina told re...

BOSTON (AP) ― Stephen Drew is moving to Boston to restart what once looked like a promising career. The former first-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks was derailed by a serious ankle injury in 2011. He was traded last season to Oakland after returning from the injury and agreed to $9.5-million, one-year contract to pay with the Red Sox in 2013. His older brother, J.D., played five se...

The Goyang Wonders, South Korea’s only independent baseball club with no league affiliation, on Wednesday accused the national governing body of professional baseball of reneging on an earlier promise to grant the team the privilege to play full-time in the minor leagues next year. The Wonders, which were founded in late 2011, played 48 unofficial matches this year against teams in the Futures L...

The South Korean roster for the 2013 World Baseball Classic will be finalized this week, officials said Wednesday, as they prepare to replace two more players from the provisional lineup. Officials at the Korea Baseball Organization said they will replace outfielder Choo Shin-soo of the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball and pitcher Kim Jin-woo of the Kia Tigers in the KBO. Choo, who was ...

A key relief pitcher could miss the upcoming World Baseball Classic for South Korea next spring after suffering a severe foot injury, officials said Thursday. Right-hander Hong Sang-sam recently broke his right foot during an offseason practice session and will undergo surgery, Hong’s club, the Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization, said Thursday. Hong was named to the provisional ros...

On Monday this week, the Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced the signing of left-handed pitcher Dana Eveland. The former member of the Baltimore Orioles in Major League Baseball (MLB) signed a one-year pact worth $300,000, which included a signing bonus of $50,000, according to the Eagles. The figure was in line with the KBO salary cap on foreign players. It seemed l...

South Korean pitcher Lim Chang-yong has signed with the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball, an informed source told Yonhap on Monday. “Lim Chang-yong signed the contract over the weekend in the U.S.,” the source said, requesting anonymity. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately known, according to the source. Lim is scheduled to return to South Korea to announce the signing. He is...

It is an iconic image of Busan and South Korean baseball: A packed Sajik Stadium singing and dancing as they watch the city’s favorite sports team, the Lotte Giants. Starting in the 2013 season, however, the Giants are going to have a local rival as professional top-tier baseball comes to the nearby city of Changwon. For more than 20 years, there have been eight teams in the league, but that is ...