MY KBO EXPERIENCE ‘23-’24
As a sports lover from a very young age, I’ve always been interested in international sports leagues. I’ve heard of the KBO, NPB, CBL, ABL, etc (even the basketball leagues) and wanted to watch them but living in the States it didn’t seem feasible. As the years progressed, and I eventually found ways to, I started falling deeper in love with the energy of international sports just as I have love for my own home sport teams.
I delved deeper into Korean sports through 최강야구 (Strongest Baseball / A Clean Sweep on Netflix) in the late summer of 2022. A little bit about 최강야구: Former Professional Baseball players go up against top university and high school baseball teams in Korea to determine who is the best. Now, I want to add, the professional players, CK Monsters, do have university players on their team that are up for the draft to go pro. It’s currently on it’s third season and you can watch it under the title A Clean Sweep on Netflix.
Poster Image of ‘A Clean Sweep’ (JTBC)
Throughout 2022, I was packing for my already impending trip/move to Korea in May 2023. A good portion over the spring/summer would be more of a vacation period which is perfect as that is baseball season so I made sure to pace out some time to go enjoy some baseball games. Side note: I did debate on goin back to Busan for the All-Star Games but I got a slight cold so that, yeah that wasn’t happening.
In July, after the All-Star break, I went to my first baseball games and they actually were future team games. Which I know isn’t something you hear or see from foreigners that live in Korea or visit Korea; usually people go to first team games. So as someone that went to second team games - let’s get into it.
I remember my first game like it was yesterday, and before I get into that - everyone at Icheon Bears Park were so nice. The security, the coaches, staff - so nice, I felt like I had been going there for a long time. I was very comfortable and felt very welcomed so thank you for that because I was nervous as all get out. You are outside at a smaller stadium and you could hear a pin drop. It was so quiet and I remember my mom asking me if I wanted to back out because my nerves were skyrocketing but I…breathed through it.
I had a lot of fun, in the first few innings I observed how people were at the games because I want to follow proper etiquette. Whilst most of the games (that I went to) were a bit more…spread out? Not a whole lot a people but still a decent amount it was still pretty lively. Don’t be mistaken, some of these games were hyped - I’m not gonna lie. Those Bears v Wiz games in August, a group of mom’s were cheering for their lives and it was packed. These games can get just as packed so if you do go to a Futures Game and want to get an experience in areas that are more further out I highly recommend it. Explore an area, Icheon gave me a nostalgic feeling of visiting my great grandparents in West Virginia and it was overall games aside a healing and nice experience. I think I went to Icehon, three? four times? I loved Icheon that much that I kept going back because I loved it that much - honestly games aside I just wanted to go to Icheon.
Icheon Bears Park, July and August 2023 - Ari Nicolle
I do want to go to other future stadiums though, I feel like that would be fun. Will it be nerve wrecking? absolutely but, I love travelling around Korea when I can so if I’m able to catch a game in those travels that’s an added bonus.
In 2024, a year into living in Korea, sports had to take a backseat to school, work, etc it was a little slower on being able to attend games both first team and future league games. I was able to snag a few first team games and they are intense. The atmosphere is something that I don’t know if they can even compare to all the sporting events I’ve gone to in my twenty-six years. I went to two or three first team games, and whew they are packed. You see a lot more people as the stadiums are more ‘accessible’ and are larger in comparison to future team games. I saw many foreigners with friends, family - some living there, some visiting. It’s fun meeting people and talking with people that all share a common interest or that are there based off of recommendations from people to see. It’s a space to have fun and unwind a bit with food and beer (if you drink). As my mom comes back and forth to visit and we both watch the games (her on her computer), she’s become a Kia Tigers fan (it’s rough being a Bears fan but I’m staying strong). Since she came to visit last spring/summer I wanted to take her to some Kia games but damn you cannot get into those. Hopefully this year, we can go together and she can watch a Kia game live.
We went to a KT Wiz and Hanwha Eagles game, both playing that Bears in Jamsil. Eagles fans are no joke, I think - in my opinion - they are second to Kia but I could be wrong in terms of rooting for your team and sticking by them. We were able to enjoy our time together and explore various areas of Korea that both of us haven’t been too which is always fun for memories but that’s for a different blog post.
Jamsil Stadium (Seoul), May and June 2024 - Ari Nicolle
We enjoyed a chill night in with some chicken, snacks and beer to watch the All-Star Game, that was held in Incheon, on TV whilst I caught up on some projects. I really want to go in person this year though, it always looks like so much fun - so hopefully I can do that. It’s being held in Daejeon and I do want to revisit so we’ll see.
I’m excited for the 2025 season and excited to detail my experience when I can go to in person events and games that I watch from home. I don’t usually do resolution, I typically just go with the flow and see where life and my journey takes me. 2024, had a lot of ups and a lot of downs. As a change, I decided to do some resolutions, one being to incorporate my love for sports more into my creative works. Though my sports content may primarily be in non western leagues, I still plan to talk about and incorporate western sports league into my content as well. I have some exciting plans for 2025 and can’t wait to take many on this journey with me.