The momentum of LG Twins fans has finally led to the sale of Korean Series game-used balls.
To commemorate the sellout of every game in the Korean Series, the KBO will be selling officially licensed balls that were actually used by players during the Korean Series.
The game-used balls, which have traces of pitching, hitting, and the ground, will be marked with a holographic sticker and sold for 40,000 won, complete with an acrylic case and an authentication card. Only 200 pieces will be sold in limited quantities.
The new balls will feature unique markings on each ball to commemorate the 2023 Korea Series. In addition, the holographic sticker and serial number on the activation card will provide fans with a one-of-a-kind souvenir.
Available for purchase on KBO Market, the official online store of the KBO League, starting on April 22, the 2023 Korean Series balls will be limited to one per account to allow fans to collect as many as possible. In addition, sales will be limited to a first-come, first-served basis and will be shipped out at a later date.
This is the first time a ball that was actually used in a game will be available for sale. Balls used in matches are usually recycled into practice balls, but this time they will be transformed into valuable souvenirs for fans.
A KBO official said, “In the past, there have been many inquiries from fans for the sale of game balls during the Korean Series, but they have never been sold.” “This time, as LG won the title for the first time in 29 years, we received a lot of inquiries from LG fans, so we decided to sell them for the first time after looking at major league examples and judging whether it was reasonable,” he said.
The sale of the Korean Series balls is expected to set a good precedent for the sale of Korean Series balls as souvenirs every year.
With LG’s first championship in 29 years, LG fans are eager to commemorate the moment of victory. A typical example is the shortage of newspapers that reported the Korean Series victory. Not only sports specialty newspapers but also daily newspapers were snatched up by LG fans. Fans who wanted to get their hands on a copy of the newspaper, which cost 1,000 won per copy, sold for tens of thousands of won on that date alone.
We don’t know if the ball used in the Korean Series was actually certified at any given moment. It could have been when the LG player hit, or it could have been when he struck out. It could have been a ball that a KT batter hit. Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that the ball was actually on the field from Game 1 to Game 5 of the Korean Series. It was the ball that LG and KT threw and hit with all their might to win the championship. It’s a great collectible for baseball fans to remember those days.