Jamsil Stadium rose to 48 degrees… “I think both players and spectators will be exhausted.”
Professional baseball players playing games amid a heat wave warning did not hide their concerns.
Kiwoom Heroes coach Hong Won-ki said ahead of the 2024 professional baseball game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on the 3rd, “It’s so hot that it’s difficult to train,” and added, “I’m very worried, especially since spectators have to watch the game under direct sunlight.” Director Hong said, “Recently, due to climate change, the weather is hotter than before,” and added, “It seems necessary to take measures that are in line with reality.”
Coach Lee Seung-yeop of the home team Doosan also did not hide his worries. Coach Lee said, “I’m worried that the players will get exhausted,” and added, “This is a heat I’ve never experienced until last year.”
On this day, the temperature at Jamsil Stadium rose to 48 degrees Celsius due to radiant heat. The home team’s Doosan players conducted a brief pre-game training, and Kiwoom also briefly trained only some players who were excluded from the starting lineup.
Professional baseball enacted heat wave regulations in 2015, providing an excuse to cancel games due to hot weather. Article 27 of the KBO League regulations states that a game can be canceled when the daily maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius or higher is expected to last for more than two days. However, because the standards of the regulations are not clear, the decision to cancel must be made by the supervisor of the game in question.
The LG Twins-Lotte Giants game scheduled to be held at Munsu Stadium in Ulsan on the 2nd was canceled due to a heat wave for the first time in professional baseball.
Reporter Ahn Hye-won of Hankyung.com anhw@hankyung.com
