2023 professional baseball, which opened its curtains stained by various bad news. However, the fans’ love and support never cools off.
While the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League kicked off on the 1st, nearly 200,000 baseball fans gathered for 10 games in the opening two games held in five stadiums across the country.
On the first day of the official opening game, all five stadiums were sold out. Incheon SSG Landers Field (23,000 people), Gocheok Sky Dome (16,000 people) and Jamsil Stadium (23,750 people), Suwon KT Wiz Park (18,700 people), Daegu Samsung Lions Park (24,000 people) ) people) all tickets have been sold.
It is the first time in 11 years since 2012, when the 8 clubs system, that all stadiums have been sold out before the opening game of the regular season in the history of the KBO League. It is also the first time since 2015, when the KBO League expanded to 10 clubs. The total number of spectators who visited the five stadiums was 105,450, which is the second-highest record for the opening game after 110,421 in 2019. 안전놀이터
The sold-out march continued on the next day, the 2nd. Tickets for SSG Landers vs. KIA Tigers at SSG Landers Field and Doosan Bears vs. Lotte Giants at Jamsil Stadium have been sold.
This year was the first time in the history of a professional baseball team related to Incheon that the opening two games were sold out. SSG has sold out the opening game a total of 8 times (2009-2013, 2018, 2023), including the predecessor SK Wyverns. However, this is the first time this year that a full crowd has visited the opening two consecutive games.
Jamsil Stadium officially announced that 23,750 tickets were sold out at 2:53 pm, 53 minutes after the game started at 2:00 pm. It was the first time in four years that Doosan’s opening two matches were sold out after the Hanwha Eagles match on March 23-24, 2019 (25,000 seats at the time).
Doosan sold out three consecutive home games, including the Kiwoom Heroes game on October 8, which was the final home game of the regular season last year.
It is surprising that the heat is so hot even before the opening. This is all the more so when considering the major bad news that hit professional baseball recently. Professional baseball was suffering from bad news that came at once like a tsunami right before the opening day. Players and club officials could not raise their heads. Fans’ disappointment and anger pierced the sky.
Korean baseball experienced the bitter taste of losing to Australia and Japan in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) and being eliminated in the first round for the third time in a row. Criticism continued that he could not keep up with the world baseball trend and stayed in the ‘frog in the well’. There was a high voice calling for the foam to be removed and internal stability to be strengthened.
Compared to the shocking incidents that followed, dropping out of the WBC was not a bad thing. Former Lotte pitcher Seo Jun-won was charged with being involved in a sex crime against a minor. The Lotte club released Seo Jun-won, and the KBO also issued a disciplinary action suspension. Seo Jun-won was virtually kicked out of professional baseball.
To make matters worse, on the 29th of last month, the day before the Media Day event announcing the opening, it was revealed that KIA general manager Jang Jeong-seok demanded back money from former player Park Dong-won (now LG Twins) during last year’s FA negotiations. The KIA club immediately dismissed general manager Jang Jeong-seok. Fans’ shock never cooled down. Lotte and KIA immediately issued an official apology and bowed their heads.
On the 31st of last month, a report of illegal gambling related to a player belonging to a professional baseball team was received by the KBO. On the same day, the KBO was seized and searched by the prosecution when an executive of its subsidiary, KBOP, was accused of breach of trust. The word ‘Hwabul Danhaeng(禍不單行)’, which means ‘bad things always come at the same time’, fit perfectly.
Even so, fans did not turn away from baseball. On the contrary, they are sending more enthusiastic support. Kim Woo-seon, a male baseball fan in his 40s who visited Jamsil Stadium before the opening, said, “I hate the bad behavior of some baseball players, but that doesn’t mean I can’t stop watching the baseball I love.” I will continue to support you,” he said.
A baseball official said, “It’s almost tearful to see the fans who pay attention even though it happened in such a bad situation.” .