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Despite gambling scandal, Samsung Lions remain optimistic

October 26, 2015
Ryu Joong-il, manager of the Samsung Lions, watches his players get ready for Game 1 of the Korean Series against the Doosan Bears at Daegu Stadium in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 26, 2015. (Yonhap)

Ryu Joong-il, manager of the Samsung Lions, watches his players get ready for Game 1 of the Korean Series against the Doosan Bears at Daegu Stadium in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Oct. 26, 2015. (Yonhap)

DAEGU (Yonhap) — It was just another day at the office for the Samsung Lions, the four-time defending South Korean baseball champion, who will begin their title defense later Monday without key cogs in their vaunted pitching staff.

When they face the Doosan Bears in the Korean Series, the championship final in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the Lions will be without their 17-game winner Yun Sung-hwan, primary setup man An Ji-man and closer Lim Chang-yong, who led the league with 33 saves. The move was in response to a report from two weeks ago that three unidentified Samsung players could be facing an investigation over illegal overseas gambling charges. The Lions have neither confirmed nor denied the three players’ connection to the report, on the grounds that no formal charges have been filed.

Hours before Game 1 at home, Daegu Stadium in Daegu, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, Samsung manager Ryu Joong-il was all smiles in the dugout, with much of the weight apparently lifted Sunday when the roster was finally announced and ended rampant speculation on just who would be left off the team.

“Our guys were swinging the bats really well in intrasquad games, and I think we’re ready to go,” said Ryu, whose team earned the bye to the Korean Series and hasn’t played since the end of the regular season on Oct. 5. “We need (Game 1 starter) Alfredo Figaro to pitch deep into the game. I know we’ve gone through some turmoil but hopefully we can bounce back.”

The players seemed equally loose. Second baseman Yamaico Navarro, the 2014 Korean Series MVP, woke up at 1 p.m. and showed up at the ballpark casually late at just past 3 p.m. — about 20 minutes after most of the players began stretching. Once dressed, he took his sweet time getting ready to join the team on the field.

“Five minutes,” the Dominican yelled, with a mischievous smile on his face, when one of his coaches got on him to hurry up already.

At least a handful of players showed up sporting facial hair for the first time this season. When asked if he was growing a playoff beard for good luck, starting catcher Lee Ji-young quipped, “No way. I just couldn’t bother to shave. There’s nothing to it.”

Tyler Cloyd, a right-handed starter who has been wearing a beard all season, said it was “fun” to see some of his teammates with facial hair for a change.

“They messed with me all year when I was growing mine that I needed to shave mine,” he said. “I told them they needed to stop shaving. I was shocked they showed up with it.”