By Yoon Chul
Korean baseball fans set a new record Saturday, with over four million spectators heading to the ballparks in the fewest games in history.
The new mark was set in 307 games this season, beating the 1995 record when it took 344 fixtures to attract four million people.
Among the teams, the LG Twins have drawn the most fans this year with 763,607 with the Lotte Giants and Doosan Bears, both with over 700,000 spectators as of Saturday.
The Kia Tigers, the league leader and winner of the 2009 Korean Series, boasts a 31 percent increase in attendance from last year. The fourth-ranked Twins posted the next biggest hike with 29 percent. The Twins have been delivering dynamic performances and look ready to join the postseason for the first time in nine years.
Another huge draw is the close race between the SK Wyverns, Tigers and Samsung Lions.
The Wyverns, led by manager Kim Sung-kun, achieved overwhelming success in the past four years with three championship wins and one runner-up finish. The Incheon-based team has even earned the nickname “public enemy” for its domination but is currently ranked third, 3.5 games behind the Lions in second. The Tigers hold a one game lead over the Lions, a perennial powerhouse.
On Sunday, Wyverns boss Kim was surprised when his side didn’t manage to score for a second straight game for the first time in four years and 10 months and a first for Kim as the Wyverns’ manager.
To make matters worse, they lost to the seventh-placed Hanwha Eagles.
A neck-and-neck race for the fourth and final playoff spot is brewing between the Twins, Giants and Bears.
While most commentators anticipate the Twins will make it to postseason, the gap between the three teams is only 4.5 with about 50 games remaining for most teams
The eight teams will start the four-day All-Star Game break Friday, with the match scheduled for Saturday.
After the short break the league will resume for the hottest part of the season, both in terms of action and temperature.
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