Baseball Games In Korea
Every time I am in Korea, I check out a baseball game.
I love Korean Baseball, and I know why. It's cheap to get a ticket, eat, drink and enjoy. The stadiums are mostly modern, built within the last few years. The atmosphere is amazing with a lot of different chants, cheers, dances, games, and things constantly going on. Baseball can be a tough watch as it is timeless making some feel it is slow. This moves.
There are cheers, fight songs, and dances for each batter. The league has been around for 42 years, but is growing in popularity. Last year, the KBO drew about 8.1 million spectators, the third-highest attendance since its 1982 launch. Getting a ticket has been harder. When I arrived in Gwangju on a Saturday, I was told there wasn't a ticket to be found. I tried scalpers and couldn't get anything.
Gwangju-Kia Champions Field (광주 KIA 챔피언스 필드)
It is one of the best and newest stadiums in Korea, and my second time here. The stadium sits on a river away from the city. Fried chicken restaurants and vendors are entering the stadium. In all Korean stadiums, you can bring in your own food and drink (including beer) as long as they can be checked and not be flying objects. There is a lot of open area which makes pre-gaming comfortable and nice.
Inside, there isn't a bad view. The outfield has an open grass area for picnics. There are cheers and a party atmosphere. The Tigers were playing the newest team - the KT Wiz ( KT 위즈) from Suwon. It ended in a 3-3 tie.
Gocheok Sky Dome (척스카이돔)
It is the first domed stadium in Korea and home to the Kiwoom Heroes (키움 히어로즈). The team is one of the three teams in Seoul. They have had some good years in the past, but are on a down one. The dome is where Major League Baseball plays when it comes to visit, and it is also where the World Baseball Classic is held. It is very convenient, with a Metro station and many highways nearby. The outside of the stadium is not as good as others due to a lack of space for the pre-game parties.
The team is not doing well, which may have affected the feeling in the stadium, making it feel lifeless. There are the cheers and noisemakers, all from the stadium, and none from the home crowd. We sat on the side of the Doosan Bears, my favourite baseball team. It was louder, a lot of fun. The costs are cheap. The concessions are not well spaced and tend to be close together. My partner went to the first time along with friends. They had fun. It still would have been better to go to a better stadium. In the end, the Doosan Bears won 8-2.
It was great to see two games in two weeks, and I hope to be back soon.