‘Came all the way to Ulsan to bring Korean players’ — A surprise confession from an MLB manager who once led Ichiro, as he plans to build an ‘Asian baseball team’ in the U.S.

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A manager who once led Ichiro Suzuki (53) and others in Major League Baseball (MLB) traveled directly to Ulsan to assess the possibility of bringing Korean players to the United States. This visit is part of his plan to establish a new franchise that blends the baseball cultures of Korea and Japan.

Don Wakamatsu (63), manager of the Long Beach Coast and MLB’s first Asian American manager, stated on the 30th at Ulsan Munsu Baseball Stadium, “This visit to Korea began as we pushed forward with plans to build a new stadium and franchise in Irvine, California. We wanted to create a team centered on Asian players, including those from Korea and Japan.”

Wakamatsu is a fourth-generation Japanese American who managed the Seattle Mariners from 2009 to 2010. He made history as MLB’s first Asian American manager and subsequently served as a coach for the Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, and Texas Rangers.

He currently oversees baseball operations for Innovation Baseball Partners (IBP), which operates several independent league teams in the United States. The Long Beach Coast, which played its inaugural season this year in the U.S. independent Pioneer League, is also a team operated by IBP.

The new challenge IBP is preparing is an independent league franchise based in Irvine, California. According to the Los Angeles Times, Wakamatsu aims for a 2027 launch and has plans that go beyond simply fielding Asian players; he intends to introduce Korean and Japanese cheer songs, interactive fan chants, and food culture to U.S. ballparks.

Irvine is also a city with a high proportion of Asian residents, with approximately 44% of the total regional population identifying as Asian. The Los Angeles Times also reported in July on the plans of this emerging franchise to leverage these local characteristics by integrating Asian baseball culture.

Manager Wakamatsu is also paying close attention to Korean and Japanese players in terms of the franchise’s roster composition. He explained, “As we prepare the new franchise, we began discussions with Japanese officials. Our consultant, Martin Kim, has joined us; he had connections with the KBO commissioner and other officials. I wanted to find out for myself whether there was a possibility of bringing Korean players to the United States.”

Martin Kim previously served as an interpreter for Hyun-jin Ryu during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers and also worked in the international business division of the Dodgers and MLB. He is currently participating in the new Irvine franchise project. Wakamatsu stated, “We are still consulting with various officials on ways to recruit players from Korea and Japan and bring them to the United States.”

In that process, an unexpected opportunity arose. A Mexican team that was scheduled to participate in this year’s Ulsan-KBO Fall League withdrew, creating a participation slot for a U.S. team. Long Beach formed a combined team consisting of players from several U.S. independent league franchises, including the Oakland Ballers, and traveled to Korea.

The results were successful. Long Beach finished first among all 12 teams with an 8-win, 2-draw record in 10 preliminary games. In the semifinals on the 30th, they defeated the LG Twins 4-2, extending their unbeaten streak to 11 games (9 wins, 2 draws) and advancing to the finals. The visit, originally intended to explore the possibility of Korean players entering the U.S., also became a new opportunity for American players.

Wakamatsu said, “This participation actually opened another channel for recruiting American players into our franchise,” adding, “It is because the players learned that IBP operates not only in the United States but also overseas. It was a very positive experience for our players as well.”

The ability to showcase the skills of American players to Korean professional baseball teams was also an important gain. Wakamatsu said, “We knew that KBO team scouts would be coming to Korea. In fact, there are scouts watching the players,” and expressed hope, saying, “It would be great if even one or two of our players could sign with a KBO or Australian league franchise.”

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original