Choi Ji-man (34, former New York Mets), who played in the Major League Baseball (MLB), said in a recent interview with Korean media that he wants to play in the KBO League and serve as a leader (after retirement). Choi Ji-man's remarks caused considerable repercussions in Korea, which led me to rethink the "special case for foreign players."메이저사이트

Not a few Korean players have stood out in MLB including Park Chan-ho, Seo Jae-eung, Kim Sun-woo, Kim Byung-hyun and Choi Hee-seop since the late 1990s. Perhaps it was because they felt a sense of crisis. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) created a two-year grace period for returning to overseas leagues to prevent a large number of amateur players from entering the U.S. At that time, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) established a "two-year grace period for returning to overseas leagues." Article 107 of the current KBO baseball code stipulates that "Among rookie players, players who have already attended high school or higher in Korea and have signed a contract with a foreign professional club without registering as a player belonging to a Korean professional club cannot sign a contract with a KBO club for two years from the date the contract with the relevant player is terminated." 

In 2009, the KBO included in Article 107 of the Baseball Covenant that "a foreign player must go through a seven-year grace period to sign a coach and coach contract with a KBO club." When this is applied, Choi Ji-man, who was born in 1991, will be delayed further if he does not receive the nomination even if he participates in the rookie draft next September after fulfilling his military service. 

If Choi tries to serve as a coach rather than a player in the KBO League, he will have to wait five more years. However, if Choi Ji-man is nominated by a Korean club through a rookie draft and plays as a player, the seven-year grace period for his contract between coaches and coaches will not be applied. This is a case in point where Kiwoom Heroes coach Moon Chan-jong took the process of "overseas → rookie draft → coach."

The "Special Cases for Overseas Players" clause has already applied two exceptions. Through a special nomination meeting for overseas players in April 2007, KBO immediately allowed seven players, including Choi Hee-seop, Song Seung-joon, Kim Byung-hyun, Choo Shin-soo, Ryu Je-guk, Chae Tae-in, and Lee Seung-hak, to return to Korea without a two-year grace period. In addition, when "Korean Express" Park Chan-ho hoped to return to Korea ahead of the 2012 season, KBO did not apply a two-year grace period and allowed him to play for his hometown team Hanwha Eagles immediately.

The provision of "special exemption for foreign players" encouraged amateur players to be cautious in advancing into the U.S. market. Even now, the effect is quite significant. However, it seems that there is a need to put restrictions on the return to leadership (coach) rather than players.

In the recent KBO League, it has become a trend for players to receive training at overseas academies at their own expense during inactive periods. Kang Jung-ho's private lesson hall from MLB has become a popular place for players to visit every year. Even though the cost of education is high, even low-salary players are visiting there. That's how strong the players' desire to learn is. Even if they haven't gone through the KBO League, I think it's very helpful to open the door if there are overseas players who want to lead the team in Korea.

In 1982, the first year of professional baseball, Baek In-cheon, a former professional baseball player in Japan, surprised those who saw him with his striking technique. Baek's batting average of 0.412 in the same year was also his unbreakable single-season batting average. Being both a player and a manager, Baek laid the groundwork for the early days when the concept of professional baseball was vague. 

For the KBO league, it is necessary to steadily improve the quality of the league in order to maintain its current popularity. To do so, "openness" may be more suitable than "closed-door clothing." There is no need to block the way for a "second white cloth" to come out.