South Korea’s first overseas professional baseball team, Geelong Korea, will not be playing in the Australian Baseball League (ABL) next season.
“Geelong Korea will not compete in the ABL for the 2023-2024 season,” the league announced on Friday.
ABL Chief Executive Officer Glenn Williams said: “This was a difficult decision. While we are sad to see Geelong Korea leave the ABL, we have had discussions with all parties and have made this decision for the good of the league, its teams, corporate partners and fans.”
The latest twist came when New Zealand-based Auckland Tuatara announced they would be leaving the league. The league went from an eight-team format to a seven-team format. After considering how to manage an odd number of teams, the ABL decided to run the league with six teams in Australia, excluding Geelong Korea.
Geelong Korea was founded in October 2018 and played the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. The team then missed two seasons due to COVID-19 and returned to the league last season, posting a 13-27 record in 40 games.
He will be ineligible for next season, but could be eligible for subsequent seasons. Williams said the organization will continue to work with the KBO.온라인바카
“It hasn’t been easy for an international baseball team based in Australia,” Williams said. “The KBO and league teams have been supportive of Geelong Corridor and the ABL. They sent some very talented players to excite the ABL fans. We will continue to speak with the KBO to ensure we see their talent in the ABL as well.”