BONG PITCHES KOREA TO 1-0 WIN OVER JAPAN IN POOL A FINAL

After being crushed, 14-2, by Japan the first time the two countries met in World Baseball Classic Pool A action, South Korea came back to win a 1-0 nailbiter at the Tokyo Dome Tuesday night to earn the top seed coming out of pool play.


Nearly 43,000 fans witnessed a superlative pitching performance by Korean starter Bong Jeun-Keun, who allowed just three hits and no walks in 5.1 innings for the win. Korea plated the game’s only run in the top of the fourth when Lee Jong-Wook came in on Kim Tae-Kyun’s single to left.

The Koreans advanced to the Pool A final with a 14-0 drubbing of China on Monday night.

SEARCH FOR NEW KOREAN COMMISH IN LIMBO

The search for a new Korea Baseball Organization commissioner is being postponed until early 2009. Seven KBO team presidents met last week and decided to put the selection process on hold, according to league secretary general Hal Il-sung, who is acting as commissioner while the search is underway.
Former commissioner Shin Sang-woo resigned earlier this month after less than three years on the job. Shin’s contract was due to expire in March of 2009. Originally, the KBO offered the commissioner’s post to Yoo Young-koo, who is vice chairman of the Korea Sports Council. However, Yoo pulled his name from consideration just prior to a meeting in which he was expected to be approved for the commissioner’s post. Two former political figures with Korea’s Grand National Party, Park Chong-ung and Kang Jae-sup, have been mentioned as possible candidates.Since the KBO was established in 1982, the league has had ten commissioners, nine of whom were figures linked to politics and many involved in scandals.

KOREAN COMMISH RESIGNS POST EARLY

Korea Baseball Organization commissioner Shin Sang-soo stepped down last Tuesday, nearly three years after his appointment to the post in January 2006. The 71-year-old former politician was nearing the end of a three-year contract in March of next year, but had hinted at resigning before the end of his term shortly after the 2008 season ended.

Despite a strong Korean showing in the 2006 World Baseball Classic and a gold medal in this year’s Beijing Olympics, Shin did not have an easy tenure as KBO commissioner, dealing with problems regarding the Hyundai Unicorns/Woori Heroes franchise, an attempted selloff by the cost-conscious Heroes of star pitcher Jan Won-sam to Samsung, allegations by LG Twins manager Kim Jae-park of signal-swapping between opposing players during games, and a police probe into illegal online gambling involving 16 KBO players.

KBO team presidents have picked Korea Sports Council vice chairman You Young-koo as Shin’s replacement. The 62-year-old You served on the LG Twins advisory board in 1990 and in a similar capacity with the KBO in 2003.

GAMBLING PROBE TOUCHES 16 KBO PLAYERS

Gambling problems apparently are not limited to Taiwanese baseball. Sixteen active players in the Korea Baseball Organization, including 13 from one team, have been accused of taking part in illegal internet gambling. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office says it suspects the 16 players to have gambled over 1 billion won (or about $678,000US) on an illegal gambling website operated by Koreans overseas.

According to the prosecutors, 13 of the players are from the Samsung Lions, two are with the Hanwha Eagles and one plays for the Lotte Giants.

The investigation is ongoing, and KBO secretary general Hal Il-sung says the league will discuss its own disciplinary measures afterward.