Everyone shuddered.
A miserable failure at the 2023 WBC (World Baseball Classic). The impact on Korean baseball was great. It is not simply because I accepted the report card that I was eliminated in the first round. The sluggishness of international competitions that had been going on for several years proved to be ‘skill’ rather than ‘accidental’, and the KBO League eventually had no choice but to face the bitter reality of ‘a frog in a foamy well’.
The renaissance of the KBO League, which began with the WBC semifinals and Beijing Golden Joy, seemed to be ending like that. Ahead of this demonstration game, all 10 clubs were ‘houses of mourning’. The fans’ heart, which would not be enough even if it heated up ahead of the opening, cooled down. Amid the cold eyes and voices of criticism, there were frequent prospects that an emergency would take place on the box office front. Like the dark days of the early 2000s, there was a sense of crisis that they might be playing their own league in a bleak baseball field.
In the midst of this, an exhibition match opened.
Amazing sights unfolded everywhere. On the 18th and 19th, the first weekend after the opening of the demonstration game, 53,577 spectators visited the baseball field. On the 19th, 8,443 spectators entered Daegu Lions Park. A line of spectators continued on the 25th and 26th, the last weekend of the demonstration game. On the 25th, Jamsil (Samsung-Doosan) 5979, Suwon (SSG-KT) 3173, Gocheok (LG-Kiwoom) 4878, Busan (Hanwha-Lotte) 5876, Gwangju (NC-KIA) 5232, total of 20,000 5138 people entered. On the 26th, a total of 24,739 spectators visited the baseball field, including 6,199 in Jamsil, 5,820 in Busan, 3,302 in Suwon, 5,503 in Gwangju, and 3,915 in Gocheok. A total of 49,877 people over two days over the weekend. The total number of spectators for 20 games on two weekends of demonstration games is 103,454. 카지노사이트
Demonstration games are held only on weekends with a paid spectator system. Unlike the pennant race, there are no various events, and the cheering squad is also limited. The game is also an experimental stage that actively utilizes backups and new players rather than 100% of the starting pitchers. Despite this, not a few fans visited the baseball field. This proves that there is great interest in how the changes of each team will be revealed in the new season, such as Lotte Hanwha, which has greatly strengthened its strength, and LG and Samsung, which will introduce a new manager system. This proves that there is still a glimmer of hope in the Korean baseball and KBO leagues.
It is the turn of the KBO League, which is entering the pennant race after the demonstration game, to respond. We have to respond with the best performance and service for the fans who spend money and time to move to the baseball field. Last season, when they faced fans after going through Corona 19, the players of each team made efforts for fan service and ignited the fire of change, but more efforts are needed than that. Strict privacy management is also essential. If you extinguish even the embers of hope that remain, there is no turning back.
