By Yoo Jee-ho
SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- Baseball returned with five games across the country Tuesday, following an unprecedented midseason break caused by a record-breaking heat wave.
Only three out of five games slated for last Tuesday were played in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) before the league decided to cancel all the remaining games of the week amid oppressive conditions nationwide.
The KBO also announced last week that games will start at 7 p.m. until further notice. Normally, weeknight games begin at 6:30 p.m., and games on weekends and holidays during the summer months begin at 6 p.m.
The first heat-related cancellation came Aug. 1, with two games being scratched, followed by another game the following day.
During one game last Tuesday, between the LG Twins and the SSG Landers in the western city of Incheon, dozens of fans were treated for symptoms of heat-related illnesses, and one fan, in particular, fell unconscious. It prompted the league to cancel all games set for Wednesday and Thursday, and also convene an emergency executive board meeting Thursday, with general managers of the league's 10 clubs and representatives from the players' association on hand.
They decided to press pause on the season, dismissing concerns about a logjam of makeup games later in the year to prioritize the safety of fans and players.
Tuesday had the feel of a new Opening Day, with all 10 teams able to reset their rotations and send their top starting pitchers to the hill.
At Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul, the Doosan Bears started their homegrown ace Gwak Been against the Taiwanese left-hander Wang Yan-Cheng of the Hanwha Eagles.
"It feels good to be back, but at the same time, I am a bit concerned," Bears manager Kim Won-hyong said in his pregame media availability. "Our position players were running on fumes, and they got a breather. But I am worried that their timing at the plate may be off because they sat out for so long in the middle of the season."
The Bears entered the break on a three-game winning streak, which has put them within 1 1/2 games of the struggling LG Twins.
"Our hitters have been improving, and I can't ask for more from our pitchers," Kim said. "We will try to maintain our form for the rest of the season."
Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb said he did not mind the time off last week because it allowed his players and coaching staff to regroup amid a poor second half. They went 7-13-0 (wins-losses-ties) in July as they fell from first place to third place in the standings.
"We need our bats to get back on track," Youm said before a road game against the Kiwoom Heroes at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. "At the end of the day, veterans with experience have to step up."
Youm adjusted his rotation during the break, with the sophomore Park Si-won replacing slumping Lachlan Wells as the No. 5 starter.
Wells had a 5-2 record with a 2.88 ERA through June but has since gone 0-3 in six starts with a 7.16 ERA.
The Heroes also benefited from the break as their ace, Raul Alcantara, had an extra few days to recover from his elbow problems.
The right-hander, who last pitched on July 22, ended up missing just one turn in the rotation and is scheduled to return to the mound Thursday.
"He was supposed to start Sunday. And after talking with him, we decided to give him a couple more days to rest and send him out Thursday," manager Seol Jong-jin said. "Our players welcomed the break last week. They feel refreshed and ready to go."
