Independent baseball club disbanded

Goyang Wonders coach Kim Sung-keun leaves after he talked to players during a meeting at the Goyang national baseball team training field, Thursday, when the club declared it was disbanding. / Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

The Goyang Wonders declared Thursday that the team has been disbanded after its “adventurous operations” for the past three seasons as the nation’s first and only independent baseball club.

Without being affiliated to any leagues, it has operated since December 2011 with the aim of offering a second chance to baseball players who were undrafted or released from professional teams and helped them play again in the professional leagues.

“Despite meaningful achievements over the past three years, we have continuously realized that we have different stances on the operation of our club from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), which first suggested the launch of the club. Now, we decided to stop our journey,” the Wonders said in a statement.

The decision came as disappointment not only to baseball players and coaching staff belonging to the team, but also fans who have witnessed the club’s contribution to Korean baseball.

"I'm really sorry for our players and coach who have been striving for the past three years," Wonders general manager Ha Song told players during a meeting at the Goyang national baseball team training field.

The club started to draw keen attention immediately from the start for the bold investment by owner Hur Min, CEO of We Make Price, a social commerce company, and the appointment of coach Kim Sung-keun, one of the most admired baseball coaches in Korea. Kim led the SK Wyverns to the Korean Series four times from 2007 to 2010 and won it on three occasions.

As there is no independent league in the country, the Wonders have played unofficial friendly games with the teams of the Futures League, a second-tier division of the KBO. The KBO also runs the top Korean baseball league. This year, the Wonders recorded 43 wins, 12 draws and 25 losses.

Also from 2012, they have sent 23 players to professional baseball clubs registered to the top league. They include LG Twins' Hwangmok Chi-seung, Nexen Heroes' Ahn Tae-young and the Hanwha Eagles' Song Joo-ho.

In the 2015 draft last month, catcher Jung Kyu-sik was picked by the KT Wiz, which will be elevated from the Futures League from next year.

"There must be an end, but it came earlier than expected,” coach Kim told players. “I'm really sorry and sad for being helpless that I cannot offer you more opportunities."

He said that he and the rest of the coaching staff will come to the stadium and help players’ train until November, and the club will also pay their salaries until then.

Uncertainty was the biggest reason behind the decision.

The Wonders did not know how many games they would play each season, as it solely depended on the decision of the baseball organization, which led general manager Ha to continuously request that the KBO allow the Wonders to be affiliated with the Futures League, which did not happen.

The KBO increased the number of friendly games from 48 to 90 this year and reportedly suggested the club have the same number of games next season. However, the Wonders demanded a more "stable future."

"Many professional clubs have wanted (to play with) us during the past three seasons, but a more stable environment was needed to operate the club," said an official at the Wonders, who declined to elaborate.

Financial concerns also seem to be a reason behind the breakup.

Owner Hur, well known as a sport enthusiast, reportedly spent more than 3 billion won to run the club every season -- mostly from his own pocket.

Observers also expressed their disappointment on the misfortune of the Wonders.

“It is a really regrettable result, but I think it was an unavoidable end for the Wonders," said Daniel Kim, a commentator for MLB broadcaster Spotv. "There must have been many limitations for the club to be what it now is only through the friendly games or the sole efforts by a tycoon, since there is no independent league or other ones in which they can compete."

Korea Times intern Jhoo Dong-chan contributed to this story.