Teams gear up for fresh starts as baseball season resumes following heat-induced break

Baseball resumed its season across South Korea on Tuesday, following an unprecedented midseason break sparked by a record-breaking heat wave. The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) canceled all remaining games of the week due to oppressive conditions nationwide. Games were set to start at 7 p.m. until further notice, a change from the usual 6:30 p.m. weekday games and 6 p.m. weekend and holiday games.

The heat-related cancellation began on August 1, with two games scratched, followed by another on the subsequent day. During a game between the LG Twins and the SSG Landers in Incheon, fans were treated for heat-related illnesses, and one fan passed out. This prompted the league to cancel games slated for Wednesday and Thursday, leading to an emergency executive board meeting.

The season pause was prioritized over concerns about a backlog of makeup games later in the year. The first game of the week had a feel similar to Opening Day, with all 10 teams able to reset their rotations and send top pitchers to the mound. In Seoul, the Doosan Bears played their homegrown ace Gwak Been against the Taiwanese left-hander Wang Yan-Cheng of the Hanwha Eagles.

Bears manager Kim Won-hyong noted that while players felt good to be back, he was concerned about their timing at the plate due to the summer break. The Bears entered the break on a three-game winning streak, putting them within 1.5 games of the struggling LG Twins. Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb stated that the time off allowed his players and coaching staff to regroup after a poor July performance.

He expressed the need for his hitters to get back on track, emphasizing that veterans with experience had to step up. Park Si-won replaced slumping Lachlan Wells as the No. 5 starter in the rotation, while Heroes ace Raul Alcantara, who had elbow issues, missed just one start and is set to return to the mound on Thursday.