KBO commissioner proposes holding season openers in U.S. in meeting with MLB official

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, May 19 (Yonhap) -- Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Commissioner proposed holding South Korean regular season games in the United States in his meeting with a senior Major League Baseball (MLB) official, the Seoul-based league said Thursday.

The KBO said Heo Koo-youn met with Jim Small, MLB's senior vice president for international affairs, in Heo's Seoul office Wednesday, and the two discussed ways in which the KBO and MLB can strengthen mutual cooperation in helping globalize baseball.

According to the KBO, Heo proposed staging KBO Opening Day games in the United States and also having KBO teams participate in major league spring training action. Heo and Small also discussed staging an exhibition series in South Korea pitting MLB All-Stars against KBO players after this season and holding MLB Opening Day games in South Korea.

At the meeting, Heo and Small also went over preparations for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), an international tournament organized by MLB.

South Korea hosted preliminary games at the 2017 WBC. MLB is expected to announce detailed schedules and venues for the 2023 edition in the near future.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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