Two bitter rivals who share a soon-to-be-torn-down Seoul stadium as their home will square off to start the Korean baseball postseason this week. The LG Twins will host the Doosan Bears in the first game of the wild card round of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in the capital city. As the fourth seed, the Twins will advance to the next round with either a win or a tie Wednesday. If they lose, though, the Twins will have another opportunity to grab a win or a tie at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, back at Jamsil. The Bears, the fifth seed, must win two straight games at Jamsil to reach the next round. The KBO added the wild card round to the postseason in 2015 and only once has a fourth seed been eliminated — the 2024 Bears against the KT Wiz. The Twins will start former major leaguer Carlos Carrasco, who went 6-3 with a 4.05 ERA in 11 starts after joining the club in July. He tossed seven shutout innings against the Bears in his KBO debut on Aug. 1. The Bears will counter with Gwak Been, who led the KBO this year with a 2.24 ERA and

On Oct. 3, 2024, Wes Benjamin, then pitching for the KT Wiz, broke the hearts of many Doosan Bears fans. The American left-hander tossed seven shutout innings as the Wiz beat the Bears 1-0 in the second wild card contest in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. Following a 4-0 win from the previous day, that second victory made the Wiz the first No. 5 seed to eliminate a No. 4 seed in the wild card round, which was introduced in 2015. Two years later, Benjamin is now an ace for the Bears, looking to author another upset. They will be the fifth seed in this year's wild card round against the fourth-ranked LG Twins, with their battle scheduled for Wednesday at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. In the wild card series, the lower-seeded team must win two straight games on the road to advance, whereas the higher-seeded club only needs a tie or a win, and gets two cracks at home to accomplish that feat. This partly explains why there has been just one upset so far. Having been a part of that first underdog victory two years ago, Benjamin said he believes it can be done again by thi

The agency for Korean football star Lee Kang-in warned of legal action Tuesday against "groundless" rumors accusing the midfielder of causing strife within the men's national team. "We have confirmed the indiscriminate spread of rumors online regarding Lee Kang-in that could not be further from the truth," The Black Label said in a statement. "Matters being discussed have nothing to do with Lee Kang-in and are groundless. We are gathering online comments and posts for spreading false rumors and possible defamation, and we will take legal action where necessary." The agency was referring to speculation that Lee, 24, had been responsible for disrupting chemistry inside the national team locker room. Following the most recent friendly match against Uzbekistan last Tuesday, three players born in 1996 — Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan and Hwang In-beom — reportedly offered to retire from international play over frustration with the current leadership group, led by 34-year-old captain Son Heung-min and his fellow 34-year-old Lee Jae-sung. A YouTuber later alleged that Lee Kang-in had sided wi

The national football federation on Tuesday called on people to refrain from hurling insults and personal attacks on players, saying such behavior does not help the sport. In a statement, the Korea Football Association (KFA) noted the recent spread of "unverified information and speculative assertions" on social media and online communities regarding members of the men's national team. The Taegeuk Warriors have come under siege in recent days over rumors of in-house feuding. Following a friendly match against Uzbekistan last Tuesday, three players born in 1996, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom and Kim Min-jae, reportedly told their teammates that they would retire from international play, citing their frustration with the leadership group that includes longtime captain Son Heung-min and his fellow 34-year-old Lee Jae-sung. Online football fan sites and YouTube channels have been rampant with rumors on who started what within the national team — some backing Son as captain, and others calling for him to step aside and cede captaincy to a younger player. The KFA said while it respects diffe

Korean figure skating star Cha Jun-hwan, 25, is stepping away from competitive ice this season, with signs pointing to a new chapter in the entertainment industry. Cha said on social media Monday that he had decided not to continue competing or serving on the national team this season after careful consideration. "After much deliberation, I have decided not to continue my national team activities or compete in events this season," Cha said. He also said his contract with the Seoul Metropolitan Government had come to an end following extensive discussions with the city. "I sincerely thank the Seoul Metropolitan Government and everyone at Seoul City Hall for believing in me and giving me their unwavering support," he said. Cha left the door open regarding his plans for the future, saying he intends to focus on his current commitments while considering what direction to take next. "I will do my best with the opportunities currently given to me while carefully thinking about what path I want to pursue going forward," he said. Cha has been a central figure in elevating South Korean men's figure

The Hanwha Eagles on Tuesday named former national team boss Ryu Ji-hyun as their new manager. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club gave Ryu, 55, a three-year contract worth 2 billion won ($1.48 million), saying he was the right person to develop the Eagles into a "sustainable contender." This year, Ryu led Korea to the quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic in March and then to the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September — the country's fifth consecutive Asiad title. Ryu's previous KBO managerial stint came with the LG Twins from 2021 to 2022. On his watch, the Twins went 159-113-16 (wins-losses-ties) in the regular season, the best record in the KBO over those two years. However, they failed to mount a deep postseason run, getting knocked out of the first round in 2021 and then the second round in 2022. The Eagles decided over the weekend not to bring back manager Kim Kyung-moon after his three-year deal expired. They went to the Korean Series last year, their first trip to the championship series since 2006, but lost to the Twins in five games. This year, h

The Hanwha Eagles announced Tuesday they have re-signed their Taiwanese pitcher Wang Yan-Cheng for next year. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) club said Wang has agreed to a new one-year deal worth $200,000 and that the left-hander also received a $100,000 signing bonus. Wang was the Eagles' Asian quota player this year and served as a pillar in a rotation decimated by injuries and subpar performances, all the while making $100,000. The 25-year-old went 11-6 with a 3.97 ERA in 133 2/3 innings while striking out 100. He was the only Hanwha pitcher to win more than 10 games. Wang finished second on the team in innings and strikeouts, both behind former major league pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin. "I am happy to be back with the Hanwha Eagles for next season. I would like to thank the club for trusting in my potential and giving me another opportunity," Wang said. "I will try to address my shortcomings and keep getting better and better." The Eagles reached the Korean Series last year but finished ninth in the 10-team league this year. They also ranked near the bottom in major pitching categories

KIGALI, Rwanda — Rwanda will host a Formula 1 race from “the early 2030s” when the series returns to Africa after about 40 years. The African Grand Prix will have a 10-year contract and take place at a track in Bugesera, southeast of the capital Kigali, F1 said on Tuesday. The purpose-built track will be ready “early in the next decade.” “This partnership is long overdue,” Rwandan President Paul Kagame said at a launch event in Kigali. “But it is a success and a milestone for the entire continent, especially for the African fans. Ultimately, what we want is for the African Grand Prix to pave the way for other races to be hosted on the continent.” Racing in Africa will fulfil a long-held ambition for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1. The 41-year-old British driver has said he has been “fighting in the background” for years to have a race in Africa. The last time F1 raced in Africa was the South African Grand Prix in 1993. “Today is a landmark moment for Formula 1," F1 President and chief executive Stefano Domenicali said. "With R

The Atlanta Dream will be hosting two games of the WNBA Finals next week, but it’s still not known where those contests will be played. The Dream, who face the Golden State Valkyries in the best-of-seven series that begins Saturday, will host Games 3 and 4 on Oct. 22 and 24. Atlanta would love to