2018 KBO League regular season ends with Doosan Bears on top
- 6 years ago
The 2018 KBO League came to end on Sunday,... leaving five teams vying for the top prize in South Korean baseball.
The Seoul-based Doosan Bears have dominated this year, but anything can happen in the postseason with the Korean Series title up for grabs.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
The KBO League season,... which ended later than usual this year due to the Asian Games,... drew to a close on Sunday after an exhausting 144 games for each of the ten teams.
The five-time Korean Series champions, the Doosan Bears,... took control of the season early,... and never looked back... finishing first,... 14-and-a-half games ahead of the SK Wyverns in second.
Thanks to league's best defense,... depth,... and starting pitching,... the Bears earned a straight ticket to the Korean Series,... where they are hoping to win the team's sixth title.
But no team is more excited to make the postseason than the Hanwha Eagles,... who make it for the first time in eleven years,... after finishing third in the regular season.
With the addition of a new manager in Han Yong-duk,... the Eagles played with a new mindset and improved confidence.
Despite the 144-game season,... it took until the 141th game for the defending champions Kia Tigers to sneak into the final playoff spot,... after beating the Lotte Giants 6-4 on Friday.
Despite dominating the 2017 season,... struggles in the bullpen and key injuries marred their season,... as they look to rebound against the Nexen Heroes during the Wild Card Series which begins on Tuesday.
The 2018 season was also filled with disappointment for some teams.
The Lotte Giants, despite having three players with the most hits in the season,... ended the season early,... just a game behind the Kia Tigers.
The LG Twins, having signed former Major League slugger Kim Hyun-soo during the off season,... collapsed in the second half of the season,... finishing 8th.
But the biggest surprise were the NC Dinos,... who finished dead last despite finishing runner up in 2016, and third in 2017.
Struggling with injuries all season,... the Dinos finished last for the first time since they joined the league in 2013.
With the regular season done and dusted,... it's now the business end of the season.
Will the Doosan Bears continue to blow teams away... or will we see a surprise?
We'll find out when the postseason comes to an end in early November.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
The Seoul-based Doosan Bears have dominated this year, but anything can happen in the postseason with the Korean Series title up for grabs.
Lee Seung-jae reports.
The KBO League season,... which ended later than usual this year due to the Asian Games,... drew to a close on Sunday after an exhausting 144 games for each of the ten teams.
The five-time Korean Series champions, the Doosan Bears,... took control of the season early,... and never looked back... finishing first,... 14-and-a-half games ahead of the SK Wyverns in second.
Thanks to league's best defense,... depth,... and starting pitching,... the Bears earned a straight ticket to the Korean Series,... where they are hoping to win the team's sixth title.
But no team is more excited to make the postseason than the Hanwha Eagles,... who make it for the first time in eleven years,... after finishing third in the regular season.
With the addition of a new manager in Han Yong-duk,... the Eagles played with a new mindset and improved confidence.
Despite the 144-game season,... it took until the 141th game for the defending champions Kia Tigers to sneak into the final playoff spot,... after beating the Lotte Giants 6-4 on Friday.
Despite dominating the 2017 season,... struggles in the bullpen and key injuries marred their season,... as they look to rebound against the Nexen Heroes during the Wild Card Series which begins on Tuesday.
The 2018 season was also filled with disappointment for some teams.
The Lotte Giants, despite having three players with the most hits in the season,... ended the season early,... just a game behind the Kia Tigers.
The LG Twins, having signed former Major League slugger Kim Hyun-soo during the off season,... collapsed in the second half of the season,... finishing 8th.
But the biggest surprise were the NC Dinos,... who finished dead last despite finishing runner up in 2016, and third in 2017.
Struggling with injuries all season,... the Dinos finished last for the first time since they joined the league in 2013.
With the regular season done and dusted,... it's now the business end of the season.
Will the Doosan Bears continue to blow teams away... or will we see a surprise?
We'll find out when the postseason comes to an end in early November.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.