South Korean Baseball Pitcher Gets 10-Month Suspension For ‘Match-Fixing’
South Korean Baseball pitcher got a 10-month suspension on a local court for fixing games.
On Friday, NC Dinos pitcher Lee Tae-yang, was sentenced by the Changwon District Court due to the charges of fixing games in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). Lee faces a 10-month jail term with a stay of execution for two years.
Lee Tae-yang is a South Korean pitcher who played for the NC Dinos in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed. He attended Cheongju High School. In August 2010, Lee was selected as a member of the South Korean U-18 national team for the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship held in Edmonton, Canada.
The 23-year-old right-hander pitcher was ordered by the court to forfeit 20 million won (US$17,940) and serve 200 hours of community service.
"Match fixing from pro athletes can't be accepted because it's an act of self-negation. The defendant received high expectation from fans as a prospect of the NC Dinos club, but he tore down the trust," the court said.
Before the ruling, the court said that Lee confessed to the charges and cooperated in the investigation.
The prosecutors said that Lee fixed plays in four starts, including a game against the Kia Tigers on May 29, 2015 and he was indicted without physical detention for fixing games in the KBO's previous season. Lee deliberately gave up a run in the first inning and later received 20 million won from the broker when he succeeded. The broker is identified by the authorities with a surname of "Cho" was sentenced by a year of imprisonment.
Lee won a career-high 10 games last year and has gone 2-2 with a 4.21 ERA in 10 appearances this season. He last pitched on June 24.Lee is a six-year pro that had be playing for the Dinos, which are based in Changwon.
In 2012, the KBO slapped two pitchers for the LG Twins namely Park Hyun-joon and Kim Sung-hyun, with lifetime bans for fixing games. The court had handed down suspended jail terms and fines for the two players.
Furthermore, the Korean Baseball Organization is still deciding the punishment for Lee. Because of the serious violations done by the pitcher, he might receive a lifetime ban.