KBO clubs return in solemn mood as mourning continues for late fan

KIA Tigers players, ahead of their KBO match with Samsung Lions at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field in Gwangju on Wednesday, bow in a moment of silence to pay condolence to a female member of audience who caught accidental death during Saturday's game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province. Yonhap

Eight of the 10 clubs in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) resumed their regular season in a solemn mood Wednesday evening, a day after having their games canceled in mourning of a fan killed in a freak in-stadium accident.

The KBO designated April 1-3 as the leaguewide mourning period after a female baseball fan in her 20s died Monday from a head injury she'd suffered during Saturday's game at Changwon NC Park in Changwon, home of the NC Dinos located 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

An aluminum piece attached outside a window of the Dinos' office fell from about 18 meters high and struck the top of a concession stand before landing on the late fan, who underwent surgery for a head injury but died two days later.

The league office canceled the entire three-game series between the Dinos and the SSG Landers at Changwon NC Park, originally set for Tuesday to Thursday. The remaining teams returned to action Wednesday at four ballparks, where the raucous, party-like atmosphere that has long defined KBO games gave way to a much more restrained setting.

Teams did not have cheerleading squads on stages in the stands, where they typically dance to walk-up songs as fans sing along and chant players' names. No music blared through speakers between innings, either.

Before the national anthem, players and fans alike observed a moment of silence, while players all wore black ribbons on their jerseys out of respect for the late fan.

"This is so tragic. Something like this should never have happened," Doosan Bears manager Lee Seung-yuop said before his team hosted the Kiwoom Heroes at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. "We must make sure an incident like this never happens again. I can't imagine what the fan's family must be going through right now."

The Bears and the LG Twins share Jamsil as their home, and they had sold out every game at the park this season — five for the Twins and three for the Bears — before Wednesday's game was played in front of thousands of empty seats.

The KBO said all four stadiums in action for Wednesday — Jamsil, KT Wiz Park in Suwon, Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark in Daejeon and Gwangju-Kia Champions Field in Gwangju — had completed safety checks by Tuesday.

Inspections are also under way at four other stadiums — Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, Incheon SSG Landers Field in Incheon, Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu and Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan — and the KBO said those checkups will be completed before the start of the weekend series Friday. (Yonhap)