"I
was amazed that you really researched a lot of information about Korea and its baseball history. I appreciate your effort."
– Kevin, South Korea
“It
was fun to see a foreign writer's impression on Korea and Korea's baseball. Thanks for a nice report and your interest in
my country's Baseball.” – Hyunwoo, Seoul, South Korea
Ah, the Land of the Morning Calm, or shall we say, the Birthplace
of the ThunderStix, but known formally as "CheerStix.” There were plenty of chances to bang the sticks in the World Baseball Classic, and you can learn about the history of the CheerStix and Korean baseball in World in a Ballpark: Baseball Goes Global, which is available for purchase at the Buy Joe's Guides page.
Still known to Koreans by their birth name,
"stick balloons," in the 2002 World Series, these noisemakers were all the rage as the Angels defeated the Giants
in the Major League Baseball Fall Classic. But in Korea, these long-tube balloons have been getting smacked together on every
pitch during the Korea Baseball League regular and post-season since the early 1990s.
Unlike The Land of the Rising Sun, Japan, which has 12 teams, Korea boasts eight clubs from all over the country, from Gwangju in the southwest to
Daejeon in the central region and the capitol city of Seoul. And wherever you go, there is a hardcore group of fans demonstrating
their tremendous passion for the universal language known as baseball. Stick balloons, chants and total devotion are the norm.
We hope you enjoy this collage of
baseball – Korea style!
