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Korean baseball: Not just a game

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Baseball fan? While the Major Leagues have suspended all spring games and delayed the 2020 season, you can still get your baseball fix.

From America to Russia to Japan, baseball is a sport that is played worldwide. The game became popular with its all-star players like Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente and popular movies like The Sandlot and 42. We know all about baseball here in North and South America, but what about the other side of the world? In countries like South Korea, what we may see as a game, is so much more to them.

The Sandlot movie poster
The Sandlot, released in 1993, inspired two sequels in 2005 and 2007.
42: The Jackie Robinson Story, released in 2013

In 1905, baseball was brought to South Korea and the country welcomed the sport with open arms. The country formed the Korean Baseball Organization, or KBO for short. The KBO started with 6 teams, and with time grew to 10 total teams. The city of Busan is known especially for not only their spectacular team but their incredibly passionate fan base. The city of Busan with its bat flips and cheermasters celebrates this sport unlike any other country and it is truly a phenomenon unlike any other.

Still from the Great Big Story minidocumentary, Behold the Unmatched Passion of Korean Baseball Fans
Still from the Great Big Story minidocumentary, Behold the Unmatched Passion of Korean Baseball Fans

To learn more about Busan and its passion for baseball, watch Behold the Unmatched Passion of Korean Baseball Fans, for free on GreatBigStory.

4 replies on “Korean baseball: Not just a game”

I love this! I do miss watching the ball game from time to time, but this is certainly fulfilling. Great job Robert!

This is a mature sounding blog post: you provided context and plenty of opportunities for your readers to make connections from commiserating about the lack of baseball now, to the historical players whose impact went far beyond the game, to popular movies that celebrate the sport. Then you pulled me into an aspect of the game I had never thought about–the South Korean baseball experience. I see you and your author-moves 👏.

Nice to see that someone aside from Jackie Robinson took a big part in Baseball and that Baseball is game that runs worldwide.

I love learning about the merging of different cultures through common interests! Beautiful!

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