“I think I’m going to collapse if I do outdoor training. I’m preparing to move indoors today (22nd).”
Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man looked concerned as he watched the heated ground. Samsung players canceled all outdoor training sessions ahead of the match against the Doosan Bears in Pohang on Tuesday. The weather in Pohang is so hot that the maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius is recorded. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), tropical nights where temperatures do not drop below 30 degrees Celsius will continue until midnight.
As the heat wave continued to the extent that it was impossible to train, Gyeonggi Supervisor Heo Sam-young continued to check the geothermal heat of the ground. The operation team leader of both Samsung and Doosan and Gyeonggi Supervisor Heo Sam-young continued to talk about the ground condition, and eventually, the cancellation of the heat wave at 5 p.m. was decided.
A Samsung official explained, “We decided to cancel it because it is not much different from the current situation at the Ulsan stadium, which was canceled for the first time, and it is difficult for the players to play.”
According to KBO regulations, before the start of the game, the relevant game management committee member checks with the local weather agency (Korea Meteorological Administration) and decides whether to cancel it or not according to the condition of the stadium. The heat wave warning stipulates that when the daily maximum temperature of 33 degrees Celsius or higher is expected to last for more than two days, the heat wave warning stipulates that the daily maximum temperature of 35 degrees Celsius or higher is expected to last for more than two days.
The game between the LG Twins and the Lotte Giants, which was scheduled to be held in Ulsan on the 2nd, was recorded as the first heat wave cancellation game in KBO history. Ulsan is also an artificial grass field, so players who play on the ground could get burned on the grass if the geothermal heat exceeds 50 degrees. On the 4th, the Ulsan LG-Lotte match and Jamsil Kiwoom Heroes-Doosan Bears were also canceled due to the heat wave warning. There was a commotion that ambulances came to the stadium because five spectators complained of heat illness in Jamsil Kiwoom-Doosan match after ignoring the heat wave warning on the 3rd.
On the same day, a thermometer installed near the ground recorded 50 degrees Celsius, making it impossible to measure the temperature any longer. Both the Samsung and Doosan teams were puzzled as to whether the Pohang ground would be able to perform games as well as trainings because it is more vulnerable to heat due to the nature of artificial turf. The players who played on the artificial turf for two days in the heat said, “It is not getting cool at night and it is still hot,” adding, “It is difficult to play in normal condition.” 안전놀이터
“Today, I told the players to do indoor training only as soon as I arrived here. I feel like they will all collapse if I just do the training,” coach Park said. “The indoor training space is small, but I think they will collapse if I do it outside, so I’m just preparing for today by simply moving indoors first.”
Pohang is Samsung’s second ballpark, but not only the ground, but also the locker room and indoor training facilities are very poor compared to Daegu Samsung Lions Park. The game must be played in a place where there is no space for players to train and manage their condition, but since the weather does not help, it will be even more exhausting. The Doosan team complained of inconvenience because it had to travel about an hour and 20 minutes round trip to Gyeongju because it was difficult to find accommodation near Pohang.
Coach Park said, “The indoor training space is very narrow. That is a little difficult now because the facilities are not well equipped.”
The canceled game will be reorganized in Daegu on the 4th of next month. It is the earliest preliminary date between Doosan and Samsung announced when KBO confirmed the remaining schedule.
