Friend of The Sports Fan Project, Ken Ferguson, and his family recently visited South Korea and decided some baseball might do them some good.
They attended a recent KT Wiz at LG Twins Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) game at the Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. The host Twins won the game (played June 21), 3-2.
Ken, who was a teacher in Grosse Pointe, MI, much of his career, took a position prior to the 2023-24 school year working with students of American military personnel on U.S. bases throughout Japan. He was kind enough to pass along a few images from his experience at Jamsil.
A few sights from the KT Wiz at LG Twins game. Clockwise from upper left, Ken’s family includes his son Dorian, daughter Ariella, and his wife Katya; all of the drainage grates are decorative; KFC does in fact stand for Kentucky Fried Chicken and not Korean Fried Chicken; there is a stand dedicated to the visiting team; paper tickets still exist; the view from Ken’s seat of the infield and the scoreboard; finally, the Olympic Stadium from the 1988 Summer Games sits on the same complex as Jamsil Baseball Stadium. (Photos by Ken Ferguson)
Beyond everything being announced and printed in a different language, Ken noted another big difference between American and Korean baseball was the near constant chanting and cheering from the stands – with cheerleaders – no matter the score or game situation. He shot a bit of video in an effort to capture that feel.
(If your travels take you to an interesting sports venue or sporting event, The Sports Fan Project would love to share it with a wider audience. Full credit will always been given to anyone who shares. Please contact us at hilldouglast@gmail.com.)