Currently, official home run records in the KBO League only include the distance the ball travels and the speed of the pitch. (Image: Samsung Lions)
SEOUL, Feb. 2 (Korea Bizwire) — The Samsung Lions will make use of a TrackMan radar system for the first time in the history of the KBO League, which could give the team a strategic advantage.
The South Korean baseball team representing the southeastern city of Daegu is set to adopt a TrackMan Baseball radar system in a rare move in the KBO League. The system can accurately keep track of players’ performance.
Currently, official home run records in the KBO League only include the distance the ball travels and the speed of the pitch.
Though some information regarding bat speed, ball travel, and launch angle is provided during televised matches, this data is only accurate to the nearest 5 meters and relies heavily on the experience of official scorers, a method that lacks accuracy.
For instance, when Park Byung-ho of the Nexen Heroes hit his 50th home run in the 2015 season, information given to fans was limited to the fact that pitcher Lee Tae-yang of the NC Dinos threw a pitch at a speed of 143 kilometers per hour, which was then hit a distance of 130 meters.
On the other hand, baseball fans in the U.S. receive a wealth of information from Major League Baseball (MLB).
When Park hit his 9th home run while playing for the Minnesota Twins in 2016, the official website of the MLB provided much more detailed and accurate information about his performance, including the ball speed as well as Park’s bat speed, which was estimated at 180 kilometers per hour.
First used in the PGA Tour in the U.S., the TrackMan system helped keep records of swing speed, driving distance and loft angle, and was later adopted by MLB.
Using a military radar, the system can measure the ball movement with high accuracy, including speed and angle.
The Samsung Lions will make use of a TrackMan radar system for the first time in the history of the KBO League, which could give the team a strategic advantage. (Image: Yonhap)
The Samsung Lions are hopeful that the decision to adopt a TrackMan system will make the team more competitive.
“We hope to use the TrackMan system for many purposes including strategy analysis, scouting of foreign players, and injury prevention. We believe it will be helpful in judging the potential of players and setting out long-term plans,” the team said.
M.H.Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
