KBO All-Star Voting Begins; Hanwha Eagles Recommend Wang Yen-cheng for Starting Pitcher

Seoul, June 2 (CNA) The KBO All-Star Game will take place on July 11 at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. For the starting pitcher position, the Hanwha Eagles have recommended Taiwanese pitcher Wang Yen-cheng rather than veteran Ryu Hyun-jin. The results will be announced on the 22nd, and Wang may make his first All-Star appearance. Jamsil Baseball Stadium is scheduled to be demolished at the end of this year and rebuilt as a dome. According to Korean media OSEN today, veteran Ryu Hyun-jin, 39, who has 200 combined wins in the KBO and MLB, is not on the fan voting list for the final All-Star Game at Jamsil. KBO announced the 'Best 12' fan voting candidates yesterday. Each team recommended one player per position, totaling 120 players. Pitchers are divided into starters, middle relievers, and closers. The Hanwha Eagles did not recommend Ryu but instead chose the 25-year-old Taiwanese Asian-quota player Wang Yen-cheng, who is highly popular this season. Reports indicate that Wang has been a high-value acquisition, joining with a salary of only $100,000 (approx. NT$3.1 million). He has recorded 5 wins, 2 losses, and a 3.24 ERA in 11 appearances, continuing the success story of Asian-quota players. However, reports noted that while Ryu is not on the list, he could still participate via manager recommendation. Fan voting began yesterday at 4 p.m. and runs until 2 p.m. on June 21, with final results announced on June 22. Fans can vote via the KBO website, app, and Shinhan Bank app, with a maximum of three votes per day, provided they have a verified Korean mobile number.