Trust has already collapsed, in an age of checkswing distrust, how will the KBO and its president, Hu Jie-yun, tackle this conundrum

Jul 03, 2025

◇ Who can accept this decision if the same referee seen in the same place says the swing on the left and the north wing on the right. Photo source = Capture relay screen

How will KBO and President Hu Ju-yeon overcome this crisis.

Trust has completely collapsed. Indeed, it has become an era of "check swing distrust".

In the KBO League in the 2025 season, a check swing accident occurs when it is forgotten. Baseball is said to be a controversy over the check swing decision, but this year is particularly severe. There are a number of misjudgment that can have a big impact on the outcome of the game.

Check swing judgment, it is a difficult area. Fans and the media can see slow broadcasting screens and make their own accurate judgments, so the anger index goes up. However, it is very embarrassing for the referee, who has to make a judgment in a moment on the spot. It is very difficult to see a scene that passes in a few seconds like zero with a human eye like a machine. The directors cannot be unaware of the hardships. So even though I'm angry, I try to get over the misjudgment in a close situation.

But there should be a degree of that. If anyone judges the swing as the North Wing, and anyone calls the North Wing as the swing, trust will collapse and distrust will deepen. The KBO League, which is about to end in the first half of the year, was already getting sick with the check swing decision, but a decisive incident occurred at Jamsil Stadium on the 2nd.

A game between Samsung and Doosan at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 2nd, Samsung manager Park Jin-man came to the ground in the bottom of the 7th inning when Kim's third baseman judged Kim Jae-hwan's checkered swing as a ball. Jamsil= Reporter's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.07.02/

The game between the Doosan Bears and the Samsung Lions. In the seventh inning when Doosan was leading the thin ice with 1-0. Ryu Ji-hyuk's bat came out and stopped in the absence of a runner with one out of Samsung's offense, but the third base umpire declared a swing and struck out. Ryu Ji-hyuk froze, and director Park Jin-man ran out. The difference between heaven and earth is whether a runner gets on base or not during a one-point period.

It could have been up to this point. Ryu Ji-hyuk's bat really stopped right on board. It's not a swing, but I could try to understand that there was room for it to be seen as a swing.

The question is next. Doosan's offense in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kim Jae-hwan's bat came out in a 2B1S situation. After the swing, the bat was quickly pulled back. Before discussing whether to swing or not, compared to Ryu Ji-hyuk, it was certainly more spectacular. Same inning, same left-handed hitter. However, Kim Jae-hwan was not struck out, so Samsung and head coach Park Jin-man had no choice but to get excited. The most shocking scene of the recent Checkered Swing controversy. In particular, the conclusion was unfavorable to Samsung, so everyone could understand Park's anger.

photo source=capture the relay screen

Doosan is also frustrated. They didn't ask them to make a judgment in their favor, and they suffered damage. This is because Choi In-ho's bad call of check swing in Daejeon Hanwha Eagles on May 13 almost lost the game against Hanwha Eagles after being hit by a two-out shock equalizer in the ninth inning.

There was already a flurry of demand for a check swing video review. The second division is on a trial run. KBO also does not oppose the introduction of the system. be thoroughly prepared. However, it is the opinion of the heads of 10 clubs that it should be introduced from next year. If regulations are changed during the season, there is also a problem of equity, and time is also needed to completely set up facilities.

Of course, the introduction of video reading cannot solve everything. It is the domain of subjective interpretation. Different judges may have different opinions after looking at the same screen. Each stadium has a different camera angle, which may cause misunderstanding. However, the most important thing is mutual trust between the field and the referee. If the game continues with such a broken belief, it can adversely affect not only the check swing but also all other decisions and acceptance.

Sportschosun DB

First of all, KBO has refrained from directly commenting on the controversy over the check swing. We are trying to figure out the situation behind the scenes and come up with countermeasures. However, if the check swing problem festers as it is, it can reach a state where it is difficult to recover. It seems that KBO and President Hu Jie-yeon have to do something, whether they introduce the system immediately, calm the field, or increase the concentration of the referees. This is not the time to rejoice and cheer about the 7 million audience in the shortest period ever.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.