The police form a human wall to prevent the Lotte Giants fans from clashing with the Samsung Lions supporters in Game 1 of the first playoff series at Sajik Stadium in Busan, Wednesday. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
The Lotte Giants advanced to their first playoff series since 2000.
But their long postseason absence might have gotten their enthusiastic fans ― to borrow the words of Giants manager Jerry Royster, ``the best I've ever seen'' ― to forget how to enjoy the Fall Classic as some of them caused disturbances in Busan during the first two games of the best-of-five series.
During the sixth inning of Game 2 Thursday night, Samsung Lions manager Sun Dong-yeol jumped out of the dugout and argued with the umpire about a laser pointer, which had been projected onto the Lions batters several times by a Giants fan.
Lions designated hitter Yang Joon-hyuk gestured with discontent to the seats filled with Giants fans and they responded by booing him, and a plastic water bottle, frequently used as the symbol of fans' anger at baseball stadiums, was thrown onto the field.
In Game 1, in which the home side was thumped 12-3, drunk Giants fans clashed with Lions fans after disturbing their rival's cheering opposite third base, causing the police to create a human wall to keep them separated.
Worse, angered by the team's loss, fans dumped beverage cans and food onto the ground.
To protest against the misdeeds, the Lions pulled out their cheering squad in Game 2, in which the Daegu-based club won 4-3 to take a 2-0 series lead.
This is not the first time such occurrences have taken place.
In the 1999 playoffs in Daegu, the home of the Lions, a plastic water bottle hit then-Giants' imported player Felix Jose on the head. In retaliation the peeved Dominican-born player threw his bat into the stand, resulting in him being ejected.
ksw@koreatimes.co.kr
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