A group of Major League Baseball (MLB) officials will visit Seoul this week to inspect a potential venue for the 2024 season opening series in the South Korean capital, an informed industry source said Monday.
The source told Yonhap News Agency that about a dozen MLB officials will arrive in Seoul on Tuesday for a three-day visit, during which they will begin preparations for the two-game set between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres on March 20-21. These two games will be the first MLB regular season contests to be played in South Korea.
The MLB unveiled the schedule for the series on July 13, but did not announce the venue at the time. Considering the chilly conditions in mid to late March in South Korea, Gocheok Sky Dome in western Seoul, the only domed baseball stadium in the country, is the likely stage for the historic games.
Visiting MLB officials will take a closer look at the dome and its facilities, and will also meet with their Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) counterparts to discuss scheduling exhibition games between the MLB teams and KBO clubs in the lead-up to the season opener.
MLB's "Seoul Series" will overlap with the preseason in the KBO.
The KBO may also use the MLB officials' visit as an opportunity to discuss impending rule changes in the South Korean league.
The KBO announced on July 20 that it will follow the MLB's lead and introduce pitch clock, ban on infield shift and three-batter-minimum rules in the next couple of seasons.
Source: Yonhap News Agency