It's the time of the year baseball fans in South Korea enjoy the most:... the start of the Korean Series.
And this year's match-up is all the more special, as two Seoul-based teams are squaring off for the first time in the KBO's history.
Lee Seung-jae has a preview of the championship series,.... which begins tonight.
One team is aiming to win their sixth championship title,... the other their first.
One manager is headed into his fifth straight Korean Series,... while this is a brand new experience for the other.
Despite their differences,.. the Doosan Bears and the Kiwoom Heroes,... the two teams set to begin their quest for the Korean Series title,... have one thing in common. They're both based in Seoul.
For the first time in league history,... two teams from the capital square off in the Korean Series.
The two teams want to carry their momentum into the Korean Series.
The Doosan Bears caught the SK Wyverns for first place,... and a ticket to the Korean Series on the final day of the regular season.
The Kiwoom Heroes,... who finished third in the regular season,... defeated their arch rivals the LG Twins,... and the defending champions SK Wyverns on the road to the championship series.
But who has the edge in the big one?
The Heroes have a better head-to-head record against the Bears this season,... having won 9 and lost 7.
But,... with the Bears enjoying a three-week break waiting for their opponent,... they are much more rested.
And taking the mound later tonight,... two American pitchers: Josh Lindblom and Eric Jokisch.
Doosan's Lindblom led the league with 20 wins this season,... while the Heroes' Jokisch had a solid 13 and 9 record with an above average 3-point-1-3 ERA.
The best of seven series kicks off at Jamsil Stadium at 6:30PM, Korea time, in what's being dubbed Korea's 'Subway Series'.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.