KBO sends letter to MLB, accuses the Orioles of breaking protocols

[glenn__davis]

I asked about this in the "Ask the Orioles" thread about month or so ago. It was not responded to, and frankly I did not expect that it would be.

I think the club does need to address it, but I doubt they will. Because unfortunately I tend to think CanofCorn's assessment is correct.

[Can_of_corn]

I asked about this in the "Ask the Orioles" thread about month or so ago. It was not responded to, and frankly I did not expect that it would be.

I think the club does need to address it, but I doubt they will. Because unfortunately I tend to think CanofCorn's assessment is correct.

Would be nice if one of the media following the O's could be bothered to investigate.

[xian4]

I asked Roch

@xian4 Orioles aren't commenting. Media in Korea has no idea, either.

[Can_of_corn]

Eduardo Encina of the Sun has an update, and it makes me sad.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-south-korean-teenager-seongmin-kim-remains-unsigned-despite-working-out-for-orioles-20120611,0,4714765.story?track=rss&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

South Korean teenager Seong-Min Kim, the left-handed pitcher who sparked controversy in his native country when he first tried to sign with the Orioles, remains unsigned and his now back in his home country.

Orioles did bring Kim to the club’s minor-league facility in Sarasota early last month for a workout, according to an industry source. Among those in attendance were professional scout Bruce Kison, Florida operations coordinator Dave Schmidt and pitching rehab coordinator Scott McGregor.

But there’s been no move to re-sign Kim, who was seen at South Korea’s top left-handed high school pitching prospect.

I am afraid that Kim showed that he didn't have the "stuff" that only the O's scouts saw and that they have decided just to leave him hanging in the wind. I would be fine with that except that the O's actions have resulted in this kid being banned from playing in his home country.

I find it very interesting that he worked out in Sarasota last month and Roch supposedly had no idea.

[Frobby]

That sucks for the kid. I have a feeling that the Orioles' incompetent handling of the Kim signing saved them from a bad signing.

[Can_of_corn]

That sucks for the kid. I have a feeling that the Orioles' incompetent handling of the Kim signing saved them from a bad signing.

I will go one further, O's faithful should be thanking the KBO for banning the O's scouts. Would be nice if the national media got a hold of this and shamed the O's into giving the kid a payout of some sort. The O's might very well have seriously negatively effected his life and livelihood going forward.

[glenn__davis]

I will go one further, O's faithful should be thanking the KBO for banning the O's scouts. Would be nice if the national media got a hold of this and shamed the O's into giving the kid a payout of some sort. The O's might very well have seriously negatively effected his life and livelihood going forward.

Agreed.

There may very well be more to this story. But if what happened is what I think happened, the O's should pay this kid the entire bonus they promised him, in my opinion.

[Can_of_corn]

Agreed.

There may very well be more to this story. But if what happened is what I think happened, the O's should pay this kid the entire bonus they promised him, in my opinion.

Or beg and debase themselves to the KBO so they lift the ban on the kid. They should do both.

[glenn__davis]

Or beg and debase themselves to the KBO so they lift the ban on the kid. They should do both.

Agreed. Not gonna lie, this situation really ticks me off at the club. Even more so because it certainly seems as though they are doing their best to sweep this whole thing under the rug, since the Sun's main beat writer had to hear about the workout from an "industry source". The club sure isn't talking about it.

Come on, O's. We know you read this. If you screwed up with this kid, acknowledge it and rectify it. If you've rectified it privately, at least make some sort of generic statement about it.

[Lucky Jim]

I'm rarely embarrassed to be an O's fan, but this is embarrassing.

[MrOrange82]

I'm rarely embarrassed to be an O's fan, but this is embarrassing.

Agreed.

IMO, the "business" of professional sports is bad enough when its affects are felt primarily by...professionals, but when a large, purportedly-professional organization royally ----s up the life of a random amateur...ugh. And we're not even talking about an adult, here. O's need to open the wallet in a non-negligible way.

[Chavez Ravine]

I agree that the O’s share a large part of the blame here…plus the whole sequence of events is kind of bizarre and perplexing. But what the heck is the KBO doing? They are actually the organization most directly ruining this kid’s professional career in Korea. KBO seems to have a legitimate beef with the O’s, but to use an innocent kid as a head on a stick seems pretty low and classless to me.

[Can_of_corn]

I agree that the O’s share a large part of the blame here…plus the whole sequence of events is kind of bizarre and perplexing. But what the heck is the KBO doing? They are actually the organization most directly ruining this kid’s professional career in Korea. KBO seems to have a legitimate beef with the O’s, but to use an innocent kid as a head on a stick seems pretty low and classless to me.

Pretty strong deterrent for any other kid considering such a move. Can't really judge the KBO by our cultural paradigms.

[waroriole]

I agree that the O’s share a large part of the blame here…plus the whole sequence of events is kind of bizarre and perplexing. But what the heck is the KBO doing? They are actually the organization most directly ruining this kid’s professional career in Korea. KBO seems to have a legitimate beef with the O’s, but to use an innocent kid as a head on a stick seems pretty low and classless to me.

Agree. The O's are clearly in the wrong here, but KBO is even more wrong. They're being extremely petty to this kid.

[square634]

I agree that the O’s share a large part of the blame here…plus the whole sequence of events is kind of bizarre and perplexing. But what the heck is the KBO doing? They are actually the organization most directly ruining this kid’s professional career in Korea. KBO seems to have a legitimate beef with the O’s, but to use an innocent kid as a head on a stick seems pretty low and classless to me.

Regardless of what the KBO is doing, the Orioles came to an agreement to sign this guy for a lot of money. It is classless not to honor that agreement regardless of the circumstances. The fact that the KBO is trying to make a statement by banning the kid makes the Orioles' inaction seem even more classless.