With this year’s MLB free agent market enlivened by international players, Ben Lindbergh talks to three guests about three baseball-rich countries. First, Jeeho Yoo of the Yonhap News Agency joins to discuss the response in South Korea to Jung Hoo Lee 이정후’s signing, Shin-Soo Choo 추신수’s forthcoming retirement, the legendary career of Choi Dong-won, and the ongoing reckoning with bullying in the KBO and Korean culture at large. Then (44:21) Ben talks to NPB historian Rob Fitts about trailblazing Japanese pitchers Eiji Sawamura and Masanori Murakami, and how baseball would be different if Japanese players had entered MLB earlier. Lastly (1:12:02), Ben brings on Sami Khan, co-director of The Last Out, a documentary about three Cuban players who hoped to make the majors, to discuss their harrowing defections and how a talent exodus affected Cuban baseball.
Audio intro: Andy Ellison, “Effectively Wild Theme”Audio outro: Ian Phillips, “Effectively Wild Theme”
Link to Yoo on LeeLink to Yoo on Lee 2Link to Yoo on Lee 3Link to Yoo on Lee 4Link to Yoo on ChooLink to Yoo on FeddeLink to other Fedde articleLink to Choi Dong-won wikiLink to Choi Dong-won Award wikiLink to Yoo on An’s bullyingLink to Yoo on An 2Link to An scouting reportLink to info on Babcock firingLink to info on Peters firingLink to volleyball twins articleLink to K-pop bulliesLink to Mel Hall articleLink to Mel Hall wikiLink to Rakuten bullyingLink to Stove League EW wikiLink to stream Stove LeagueLink to translators EW episodeLink to baseball deadening articleLink to KBO rules changesLink to Yomiuri baseball cheersLink to Rob’s websiteLink to Rob’s SABR pageLink to Sawamura wikiLink to Sawamura Award wikiLink to posting system explainerLink to EW Episode 1311Link to EW Episode 1621Link to EW Episode 1816Link to Sugar wikiLink to Ballplayer: Pelotero wikiLink to Cuba-NPB/KBO articleLink to post on Rodríguez defectionLink to article on Rodríguez FALink to article on ArochaLink to The Last Out trailerLink to The Last Out websiteLink to Q&A with the doc starsLink to ESPN on DominguezLink to article on Cuban baseball declineLink to ESPN on Cuba and the WBCLink to wet feet, dry feet wikiLink to 2018 MLB dealLink to scuttled MLB deal
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