(WBC) MLB commissioner foresees regular season game in S. Korea in future

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, March 6 (Yonhap) -- Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred said Monday he'd love to hold a regular season big league game in South Korea someday -- albeit at a bigger stadium than the one hosting the World Baseball Classic (WBC) this week.

Manfred made his first trip to the country to attend the opening game of the 2017 WBC between South Korea and Israel in Pool A at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. It marks the first time South Korea is staging WBC contests.

"It's a real step forward for the WBC to have one of the pools hosted here in Korea," Manfred said at a press conference. "Korea has been a great supporter of the event since Day 1 (in 2006), and has had great success. It's very important for us to recognize that success and support by bringing in some games here."

South Korea finished third and then second at the 2006 and 2009 WBCs. It's trying to erase the memory of a disappointing first round exit at the 2013 competition.

Manfred said MLB would like to return to South Korea for a regular season game but wasn't sure if Gocheok would still be the venue for that occasion.

"We'd need a venue a little bigger than this to make that work," Manfred said of the stadium with 18,000 seats, adding that, while he hadn't yet seen the park himself, he'd heard positive things about it from some players.

Gocheok is the only domed baseball stadium in South Korea, but there are other ballparks with bigger capacities, including Jamsil Stadium in Seoul with 25,000 seats.

Manfred insisted the WBC, which MLB launched 11 years ago, remains "a huge priority" for the commissioner's office, saying "It's vital to the internationalization of the game."

He also rejected rumors that this could be the last WBC unless MLB saw a significant increase in revenue.

"The WBC has always been profitable," Manfred said. "There's been absolutely no discussion of the possibility of this being the last WBC. We're really committed to the event."

Manfred also said expanding the WBC from the current 16-nation format "will be extremely difficult" given the small window in March in which the WBCs have been contested. Because the tournaments have come during major league spring training, star big leaguers have shunned the WBC to focus on preparing for their regular season.

"Individual major league players have a choice on whether to participate in the event," Manfred said. "I don't foresee that particular aspect changing. We're doing the best we can to make sure we get high-quality rosters for all countries. And rosters are better this time than they've ever been. But because of the travel, there will always be some major league players who may not want to participate."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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