Changwon NC Park on the 27th, the day of the LG Twins-NC Dinos game. Immediately after the pregame briefing by the visiting LG manager, Yeom Kyung-yup, four detectives from the Masan East Police Station entered the third base dugout. Although there are cases where police are deployed to control the crowd, it is rare to see detectives in the dugout, 카지노사이트 so it was an eye-catching sight. Fans watching the game were also wide-eyed.
The incident occurred in the bottom of the ninth inning when NC was trailing 3-5. NC’s Park Gun-woo hit a grounder that LG second baseman Shin Min-jae caught and tossed to second base, seemingly ending the game. However, second base umpire Yoon Sang-won declared that the ball hit his foot, so Park’s hit was dismissed as an infield single, followed by Jason Martin’s double and Kwon Hee-dong’s three-run homer to give NC a 7-5 victory. In an instant, the tide had turned.
According to the rules, the ball hit umpire Yoon’s foot, so there was no problem with the ensuing play. The LG fans who missed out on the game were understandably angry, but the next day, the stadium turned into a chaotic scene as some uneducated fans couldn’t stop their anger and ‘crossed the line’. The online threats were directed not only at Yoon, but also at his family and fellow referees. The ‘death threat’ post was a serious social issue and could not be taken lightly.
The repercussions were enormous. Referee Yoon spent the night in excruciating pain. He felt tremendous pressure as arrows were fired at him, his family, and his colleagues. He was scheduled to officiate on the 27th, but ended up returning home early.
Heo Woon, chairman of the KBO Referees Committee, told Sports Donga, “Referee Yoon was under a lot of pressure because he, his family, and his colleagues were threatened. After the game, he couldn’t sleep and complained of pain,” explaining, “We asked the police for help just in case.” Detectives were stationed in the dugout of the baseball field. Fans who came to the stadium to enjoy the game on a holiday also had to deal with the inconvenience of being searched through metal detectors.
Of course, fans can criticize umpires. But it’s a different matter when they go beyond criticism and anger to threats. It’s a criminal offense, and it’s the worst kind of behavior because it tarnishes the reputation of other fans who support the same team. The team you support is not responsible for your life.