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KBO club manager fined after bumping umpire

Published: 15 Apr. 2025, 17:32

LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb looks on after a KBO game against the Lotte Giants at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul on March 23. [YONHAP]

LG Twins manager Youm Kyoung-youb was slapped with a fine of 2 million won ($1,400) Tuesday after bumping an umpire in a heated argument during a recent game.

The KBO handed down the penalty four days after the incident during the Twins' game against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in southern Seoul.

With one out and a runner on first in the bottom of the fifth inning, Lee Ju-heon of the Twins hit a line drive to third baseman Kang Seung-ho, who dropped the ball in an attempt to make a diving catch but quickly picked it up and threw to second base for the force out.
Moon Sung-ju, the runner at first, hesitated and returned to the bag, apparently thinking the ball had been caught. Lee, meanwhile, ran hard to first. Bears first baseman Yang Suk-hwan received the ball and tagged both Twins players who stood on the bag, but Lee was eventually ruled safe at first with Moon as the lone out on the play.

Second base umpire Kwon Young-choul raised his arms to call time at the end of the play, and the rest of the crew did the same. However, according to the Twins, when Youm saw third base umpire Kim Kab-soo call time, he misconstrued the gesture as overturning the earlier fair call.

When told it was a call for time, Youm then argued that umpires should not have called the play dead while it was ongoing. He got into a particularly heated exchange with first base umpire Lee Young-jae.

Crew chief Bae Byeong-du tossed Youm from the game when he began swearing at the umpires, and the manager bumped Lee before he had to be pulled back by his coaches and players.

Umpires insisted the time had been called properly after the runners were tagged out, and the KBO confirmed that upon video review. Youm apologized before Saturday's game and said he regretted acting so recklessly in front of a big crowd.

Youm's fine is in line with penalties issued to other managers disciplined for making contact with an umpire during games.

The Twins entered Tuesday's game against the Samsung Lions in first place with a record of 14-3-0.

Yonhap