Korea Baseball Organization Club Samsung Lions Move Into New Ballpark

Korea Baseball Organization club Samsung Lions "moved from the oldest baseball stadium in the country to the newest," according to YONHAP. The Lions hosted the LG Twins at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, the first official contest in the brand new, 24,000-seat venue. The club had been playing at the 10,000-seat Daegu Citizen Baseball Stadium "since the KBO's inception in 1982." Lions Manager Ryu Joong-il said, "I'm happy enough that we've left artificial turf, which put players at risk for injuries. And they've built a beautiful ballpark. We have the same type of clay used in major league stadiums." Ryu said that "he expects to see a lot of balls leave Daegu Samsung Lions Park, based on its dimensions." It has a 122m straightaway center, and is 99.5m "down the left and right field lines." It is 123.4m "each to the left-center and right-center gaps" (KOREA HERALD, 3/22).