Long Beach Coast set to play in KBO's Fall League, becoming first American team to play in South Korean league
The Long Beach Coast will participate in this year's KBO Fall League, marking the first time an American team will play in the South Korea-based organization.
Following a stellar inaugural season that saw the Coast make an unprecedented run to the Pioneer Baseball League Championship Series, the team will make more history by joining the Korean Baseball Organization's Fall League, which runs from October 15 to October 31 in Ulsan, South Korea.
The roster will be made up primarily of Coast players, but it will also include players from other PBL teams, including the Oakland Ballers and the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds. Players from other independent and Major League Baseball partner leagues will also join the roster, including some from the Winnipeg Goldeyes in the American Association of Professional Baseball, the Cleburne Railroaders in the National Association of Professional Baseball and the South Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
Though the team is typically led by former MLB icons Troy Percival, Troy Glaus and Jerome Williams, former big-league skipper Don Wakamatsu, the first Asian-American manager in MLB history and a member of the 2015 World Series Champion Kansas City Royals coaching staff, will return from retirement to manage the squad. He was recently selected to oversee the newly announced PBL team heading to Irvine.
"I didn't expect to return to the dugout, but this group and historic opportunity made it worth it," Wakamatsu said. "For young players, a trip like this is bigger than baseball. It's a chance to compete, to grow, and to see the game through a different lens. Korea has such a deep baseball culture, and I'm proud our players will get to experience that together."
Wakamatsu will be joined by former MLB manager John McLaren, who is the current manager of the Poland national baseball team.
Related: Long Beach Coast announces first MLB player acquisition in team history
According to Innovation Baseball Partners, which owns and operates several PBL teams, the move comes as part of the Irvine team's foundation, as league officials hope to draw inspiration from the KBO and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League.
"This is a fantastic opportunity for our players and our organization," said Innovation Baseball Partners co-founder Jamie Rosenberg. "We're excited to compete in Korea, and this trip also gives us a valuable chance to scout and learn. As we launch our new club in Orange County, spending time around the KBO will help us identify players, build relationships, and bring back ideas that will shape the new Orange County team on and off the field."
