Korean pro baseball league draws record spectators

Korea’s pro baseball league has drawn a record of more than 7 million spectators in a single season for the first time since its launch 31 years ago.The Korea Baseball Organization said that it attributes this milestone, set Oct. 2, largely to the popularity of star players who returned home from overseas such as Park Chan-ho, Kim Byung-hyun and Lee Seung-yeop. The expanded broadcasting coverage of the sport on cable is another factor, it said.Lotte Giants held a record title of drawing more tha

Oct. 3, 2012

Samsung bags spot in Series

The defending champion Samsung Lions beat the LG Twins 9-3 Monday, clinching their third consecutive berth in the championship round of South Korea’s top baseball league.The victory brought the Lions’ record to 76 wins, 50 losses and two ties, with five games left in the 133-game season, and gave them a five-game cushion over the second-place SK Wyverns. Also on Monday, the Wyverns clinched second place with a 4-1 win over the Hanwha Eagles.In the eight-team Korean Baseball Organization, the fir

Oct. 2, 2012

Rangers down A’s 9-7 for split

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) ― Ian Kinsler and the Texas Rangers moved closer to another AL West title with a split.They can now wrap up another division title at home even before having to face the chasing Athletics again next week in Oakland.Kinsler hit a leadoff homer to start a five-run first inning, Matt Harrison got his 18th victory and the two-time defending American League champions held on for a 9-7 victory Thursday. By splitting the four-game series, the Rangers maintained their four-game div

Sept. 28, 2012

Pro baseball league draws record spectators

The Korean pro baseball league has established a new single-season attendance record despite negative promotion factors such as the 2012 London Olympics, record heat waves and typhoons.According to the Korea Baseball Organization, the attendance total for all eight teams through Tuesday this season surpassed the previous annual record set in 2011, with 35 games still remaining. Given this trend, the figure is likely to hit seven million this year for the first time since the league was launched

Sept. 26, 2012

Madonna tells fans to vote for ‘black Muslim’ Obama

LOS ANGELES (AFP) ― Pop diva Madonna urged fans to vote for President Barack Obama in America’s November election, but raised eyebrows by calling him a “black Muslim,” according to a video posted online Tuesday.In the clip reportedly shot during a concert Monday night, she listed American icons Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King before turning to Obama, of whom she is a well-known supporter.“And now it is so amazing and incredible to think we have an African American in the White House,” she

Sept. 26, 2012

Manager of Nexen fired

The Nexen Heroes fired Kim Si-jin as their manager.The Heroes terminated their contract with Kim, who had signed a three-year extension last season, said officials of the Korea Baseball Organization team. He is the second managerial casualty in the KBO this year, after the last-place Hanwha Eagles let go of their manager Han Dae-hwa in late August.Bench coach Kim Sung-kap will be the interim manager for the rest of the season, officials added.Kim Si-jin, 54, took over as the Heroes’ manager in 2

Sept. 18, 2012

White Sox pad lead in AL Central

CHICAGO (AP) ― Alex Rios went barreling into second base with a hard slide that teammate Gordon Beckham said might be the biggest play of the season for the White Sox as they try to win the AL Central.Rios was trying to break up a double play and when he went into Detroit second baseman Omar Infante, it caused an errant throw that allowed the tying and go-ahead runs to score Monday as the White Sox beat the Tigers 5-4 and went up three games in division.“That’s a situation where every second bas

Sept. 18, 2012

Martin’s 3-run HR helps Yanks sink fading Rays

NEW YORK (AP) ― Nick Swisher drew a nice cheer for his rare bunt, Eduardo Nunez energized the crowd with three steals, and Russell Martin earned the biggest ovation for his home run.The New York Yankees mixed and matched against Tampa Bay ― at the plate and on the mound ― and emerged with a 6-4 win Sunday that kept them ahead in the AL East and ended a most damaging road trip for the Rays.Now, the Yankees can relax. For a bit, anyway.“We have a day off. Guys are going to rest tomorrow,” manager

Sept. 17, 2012

Nova sharp in return as Yanks down Rays

NEW YORK (AP) ― Some critical reinforcements are still on the way for the Yankees. With the AL East race up for grabs, New York would be thrilled if those players are as sharp as Ivan Nova when they get back.Nova was downright nasty in his return from a shoulder injury and New York got back-to-back home runs from Curtis Granderson and Eduardo Nunez in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.“Even though he hadn’t pitched a lot, you could see where his endurance level was, where his vel

Sept. 16, 2012

Elbow pain forces Park off roster

Park Chan-ho, the first South Korean in U.S. major league history, has been taken off the top-tier lineup of the Hanwha Eagles. He was delisted from the first division for the first time since his debut in Korea this season after playing in the U.S. and Japan. So far this year, the 39-year-old veteran pitcher had sat out two games due to fatigue and back pain but stayed on the list.“I removed Park from the entry list due to his continued elbow pain,” acting manager Han Yong-duk told reporters on

Sept. 11, 2012