GCBL players strive to turn professional

The Gyeonggi Challenge Baseball League (GCBL), now in its sixth year, commenced its 2024 season on March 14 with the opening game between last year's champion, Yeoncheon Miracle, and the runner-up, Seongnam Magpies. The Challenge Baseball League serves as an amateur baseball league, offering players who have not made it to the professional level or who have been released by their clubs an opportunity to refine their skills. They dream of a chance to prove themselves in a consolation match, aspiring to become professional baseball players.

This year, there are seven teams and nearly 200 players participating. By October, each team will have played 36 matches, totaling 134 matches including the finals.

As of Sunday, the Yeoncheon Miracle holds the top spot with nine wins and one loss, closely followed by the Seongnam Magpies with seven wins and two losses. "Once the top three teams are determined, the second and third-place teams from the regular season will compete in a best-of-three series. The winner will then face the first-place team in a best-of-five series," stated an official from the Gyeonggi Baseball Softball Association.

Some of the coaches in the league are former coaching staff from professional clubs. Cho Beom-hyeon, the former manager of the KT Wiz, now manages the Suwon Pineegs, while Shin Kyeong-sik, previously the hitting coach for the LG Twins, is now in charge of the Seongnam Magpies. Jin Jacob, a former pitcher for the Doosan Bears, serves as both the manager and owner of the Gapyeong Whales. Additionally, Kim In-sung, formerly a manager in the LG Twins KBO Futures League, is now the owner and manager of the Yeoncheon Miracle. “The players work tirelessly and are highly motivated as if every game is their last,” Kim expressed. "I'm committed to passing on all my knowledge this year to maximize their chances of transitioning to the professional league."

This year, Gyeonggi Province will allocate 1.4 billion won to GCBL teams, covering per-game stipends, training support allowances, winning bonuses, and allowances for managers/coaches, aiming to support their athletic pursuits. Additionally, the province plans to enhance player skills by promoting exchange games with teams from the Futures League and Japan’s BC League, an independent minor baseball league in Japan. “We registered the GCBL with the Gyeonggi Baseball Softball Association (General Division), the sports organization under the Gyeonggi Sports Council, to establish grounds for support,” stated an official from Gyeonggi Province.


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