'Lee Dae-ho, Oh Seung-hwan, and Park Byung-ho All Set to Appear' Korea-Japan Legends Face Off in Historic First Match at Gocheok Dome! Pre-Game Event and Main Game Confirmed for December 4–5

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

The baseball legends representing Korea and Japan will face off at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome this time. Along with Lee Dae-ho (44), who was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) after hitting a home run during last year's away game in Japan, stars who dominated an era such as Oh Seung-hwan (44), Park Byung-ho (40), and Yoon Seok-min (40) will don their uniforms once again.

The 'Korea-Japan Dream Players Game 2026' will be held at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome on December 4 and 5. A pre-game event will take place on the 4th, followed by the main game featuring a matchup between Korean and Japanese legends on the 5th.

Now in its third year, the Korea-Japan Dream Players Game is being held in Korea for the first time. The tournament began in July 2024 at Escon Field in Hokkaido, Japan. It is an exchange event where retired players who contributed to the development of professional baseball in both countries return to the field, and the previous two tournaments sold out all seats.

In the inaugural tournament, Japan defeated Korea 10-6 in a comeback victory. With Korea leading 6-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Japan scored five runs to turn the game around. At the time, Japan's Ito Yoshiaki (45) was named MVP.

Last year, Korea got its revenge. The Korean legends team, led by Manager Kim In-sik (79), crushed Japan 7-1, bringing their all-time record to one win and one loss. Lee Dae-ho's performance stood out in particular. He showcased his undiminished power hitting with a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning, among other hits, and was named game MVP. Lee Byung-gyu (52) also contributed to the victory with three hits in three at-bats and two runs batted in, including two doubles.

Lee Dae-ho will also participate this year. Having recorded a career total of 374 home runs in the KBO League, he also played for the Orix Buffaloes and SoftBank Hawks in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He is familiar to local fans, having hit 98 home runs over four seasons in Japan. Oh Seung-hwan will return to the pitcher's mound as well. Oh, who has a career total of 427 saves in the KBO League, is a representative closer in Korean baseball who also played for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan and in Major League Baseball in the United States. Following his first participation in this tournament immediately after retiring from active duty last year, he is set to compete for two consecutive years.

Park Byung-ho, a home run hitter who represented the KBO League, and Yoon Seok-min, the 2011 regular season MVP, will also join the Korean national team. Yoon appeared as a starting pitcher in last year's tournament and delivered a scoreless performance. Manager Kim In-sik will take the helm of Team Korea again this year. Japan will be led by Manager Nishi Toshihisa (55). Ogasawara Michihiro (53), Ito Yoshiaki, Watanabe Shunsuke (50), and Nakata Sho (37) are among those on the participation roster.

Ogasawara is a powerful hitter with a career total of 2,120 hits in NPB, while submarine pitcher Watanabe is a representative underhand pitcher in Japanese baseball who played for the Chiba Lotte Marines for many years. Nakata is also a former slugger who won the RBI championship three times in Nippon Professional Baseball.

A pre-game event with fans will be held at 6:30 p.m. on December 4, the day before the main game. Scheduled activities include 'Burnt Bingo,' conducted by teams of legends from both countries, 'Gocheok Golden Bell,' a quiz for audience participation, and a 'Home Run Derby' featuring legendary batters. The main game will be played over seven innings at 2:00 p.m. on December 5. An opening performance and inter-inning shows are also planned, and the game will be broadcast live on SBS and TVING.

The ticket reservation schedule, sales methods, and detailed program for the tournament are expected to be announced later.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original