Professional Baseball KIA Dispatched Five Players
Professional baseball KIA Tigers, which is preparing for next season, announced on the 27th that they will send a team to Canberra Cavaliers of the Australian Baseball League (ABL).
Five KIA players, including pitchers Kwak Do-kyu, Kim Ki-hoon, Kim Hyun-soo and Hong Won-bin, and infielder Park Min, will return after playing 40 ABL games from November 17 to January 21 next year.
KIA explained that Shim Jae-hak, the head of the team, met with Canberra's owner in person in September and agreed to dispatch the team.
Shim Jae-hak, head of KIA, said, "We decided to dispatch ABL to give players who need practical experience due to military service and players who lack experience in the first division a chance to practice," adding, "We expect our players to improve their skills against high-quality foreign players."
The KIA club plans to seek regular dispatch of ABL to foster players.
KIA will conduct high-intensity finishing training with 28 players at Gin Stadium in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, from November 1st to 28th.
