Korean pros hold clinic for Saipan Little Leaguers

Professional baseball players from South Korea pose for a group photo with nearly 50 players of the Saipan Little League after the clinic at the the Francisco “Tan’Ko” M. Palacios Baseball Field. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

As part of a media familiarization tour organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority, professional baseball players from South Korea led by  SSG Landers’ Kang-min Kim conducted a training clinic for Saipan Little League players last Dec. 14 at the Francisco “Tan ‘Ko” Palacios Baseball Field. 

Nearly 50 young players received training in throwing, grounding, batting, and defense from members of top professional teams in Korea, including Kim’s SSG Landers, Keeum, LG Twins, and others. Kim is the 2022 MVP of the Korean Series.

The clinic ended with an autograph and picture-taking session. “It’s a rare opportunity to have so many professional baseball players on island, and we were excited to have these visiting professionals share their talent with our Little League players,” said MVA chair Viola Alepuyo. “With the MVA’s recent MOU signed with the Korean Professional Baseball Players Association, we aim to entice more players to the Marianas for both training, publicity, and leisure opportunities.” 

The players are in the Marianas as a part of a media filming project of the Marianas Visitors Authority in cooperation with MBC TV. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

The players are in the Marianas to participate in a filming project coordinated by the MVA with MBC Plus, a subsidiary of MBC TV, one of the Korea’s largest national TV networks. The entertainment show “SwingStar” will air in January and April 2023 and will feature professional baseball players, LPGA professional golfers, and Korean celebrities playing in a tournament at Laolao Bay Golf & Resort. 

“I would like to thank the players from the various Korea Major League Baseball teams who went out of their way to hold a clinic for our Little League players while they were here,” said Saipan Little League Baseball acting president A.J. Palacios Murig. 

Professional baseball players from South Korea sign autographs after a training clinic for nearly 50 players of the CNMI Little League at the Francisco “Tan’Ko” M. Palacios Baseball Field. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

“Little League, and baseball in general, has been absent in our community for the past four years due to (Super Typhoon) Yutu and the pandemic, and clinics and events like this help boost and spark back the interest of baseball in the community. I’m very thankful, especially to (MVA Marketing specialist) Skye (Seo) and the MVA team, for making this possible and for continuing to promote our islands through sports.” 

Ten episodes of the golf championship in the Marianas will air on the network, generating an estimated $800,000 in ad exposure value for the destination. MBC Plus has five cable TV channels in Korea, including MBC Sports+ for sports and MBC EVERY1 for entertainment, with 2 million subscribed viewers. (PR)