S. Korea to play Yomiuri Giants ahead of World Baseball Classic

SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will likely hold a warm-up friendly with
Japan's Yomiuri Giants ahead of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) that starts in
March next year, officials said Monday.

South Korea, who finished third in the quadrennial international tournament in
2006, will likely play the Giants in Tokyo just days before they play their WBC
opener in the same venue, officials at the Korea Baseball Organization said.
It is unclear whether the Giants, who finished second in the Japanese league this
year, will feature South Korean slugger Lee Seung-yuop in the friendly, the
officials said.
Lee, who plays first base for the Giants, has made it public that he will not
compete on the South Korean squad for the WBC, because he wants to focus on his
training to make up for his poor performance during Japan's post-season race.
South Korea will face Taiwan in the March 6 opener of the WBC, in which Japan are
the reigning champions. The tournament, launched four years ago by a multiple
number of associations, including the Major League Baseball, draws 16 teams and
will be jointly held in several countries.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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