Pro baseball teams confirm overseas training schedules

After a dispute between pro baseball club owners and the players¡¯ association over the latter¡¯s plan to organize a labor union was settled Saturday, the eight teams confirmed their overseas training schedules as part of preparations for the coming season.

The Taegu-based Samsung Lions already opened its training camp in Peoria, Arizona on Jan. 15, and the seven other teams will kick off spring training in the U.S. mainland, Hawaii, Australia or Japan.

Home run king Lee Seung-Yuop, who was the only Samsung team member to join the players¡¯ association, will venture to the U.S. along with his fellow players shortly after spending the Lunar New Year¡¯s holidays in Taegu.

An added feature of this year`s spring training schedule is that the teams will hold pre-season games.

In the aftermath of the union dispute, the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) extended the deadline for salary negotiations until Feb. 10 from the original Jan. 31.

Zang Hwan-Soo zangpabo@donga.com