Brawl on the Diamond: U23 Baseball World Cup Erupts in Chaos as Korea-Venezuela Match Turns Ugly
- The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced that Kim Du-hyeon, an infielder for the Korean national team participating in the U-23 Baseball World Cup, has been suspended...
- The incident occurred during a preliminary round match against Venezuela in Shaoxing, China.
- With runners on first and second base and no outs, Venezuela attempted a sacrifice bunt, and the runners all moved to the next base.
Kim Du-hyeon Suspended for One Game After Altercation with Venezuela’s Medina
U-23 Baseball World Cup: Korean Infielder Fights with Opponent
The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) has announced that Kim Du-hyeon, an infielder for the Korean national team participating in the U-23 Baseball World Cup, has been suspended for one game after getting into a physical altercation with an opposing player.
The incident occurred during a preliminary round match against Venezuela in Shaoxing, China. The match, which had been going smoothly, became chaotic in the top of the 7th inning when Korea was down 4-6.
With runners on first and second base and no outs, Venezuela attempted a sacrifice bunt, and the runners all moved to the next base. The Korean team chose to put out the runner on second base, but Medina, who was on second base, made a deep tackle toward the feet of third baseman Kim Du-hyeon.
Kim Du-hyeon, who had been complaining of pain for a moment, could not control his anger and punched Medina in the back. Medina did not stay still either and swung her fist at Kim Du-hyeon.
The situation ended when players from both teams’ benches poured out to stop the two players.
The tournament’s technical committee suspended Medina for four games after he threw a punch at Kim Du-hyeon, while Kim Du-hyeon, who first threw a punch at his opponent in the back, was suspended for one game.
Korea lost to Venezuela 4-8 in the match, suffering its first loss in the tournament. The team is set to play its final preliminary round match against Nicaragua.