The KBO League Golden Glove Award is an award given out annually by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) to the best overall player at each position in the KBO League. It is also commonly known as the KBO Golden Gloves. The award was established in KBO League's inaugural year in 1982.
Each year, one award is given to the best player at each position, as voted by baseball writers, analysts and broadcasters. (In the KBO's first year, 1982, the award was given exclusively for defensive prowess, similar to the MLB Gold Glove Award).[ citation needed ] All outfielders are grouped for three outfielder awards and designated hitters have been included since 1984. League leaders in major offensive and pitching categories earn automatic nominations for the award. Other position players have to appear in a minimal number of defensive innings at the position, while starting pitchers have to appear in sufficient innings to qualify for the ERA title (i.e. 144 innings or average of 1 per game) to be nominated. Relievers can qualify by recording at least 10 wins, 30 saves or 30 holds. [1]
Most total awards:
Most awarded pitcher:
Most awarded catcher:
Most awarded first baseman:
Most awarded second baseman:
Most awarded third baseman:
Most awarded shortstop:
Most awarded outfielder:
Most awarded designated hitter:
Each KBO team is allowed to sign up to three foreign-born players (two pitchers and one position player). The following is a list of foreign players that have won the KBO Golden Gloves over the years: [7]
The Silver Slugger Award has been awarded annually since 1980 to the best offensive player at each position in both the American League and the National League, as determined by the coaches and managers of Major League Baseball.
In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead ; the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, American football or ice hockey, and in a similar way to association football, baseball does not have a free substitution rule and thus the replaced player is not allowed back into that game. The pinch hitter assumes the spot in the batting order of the player whom he replaces. Pinch hitters are commonly used to replace a weak hitter or to gain a platoon advantage.
The KBO League is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea, contested by ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most successful team, having won 12 of the 43 championships.
Lee Jong-beom is a former South Korean professional baseball player who played for the Kia Tigers in the KBO League and the Chunichi Dragons in Japan from 1998 to 2001. He is nicknamed "Son of the Wind" for his speed. Lee is widely considered one of the best five-tool players in Korean baseball history, and the best all-around KBO player of the 1990s.
Lee Seung-yuop is a retired baseball player and the current manager of the Doosan Bears. He spent most of his career with the Samsung Lions of the KBO League. At the age of 26, he became the youngest professional baseball player in the world to hit 300 career home runs. He formerly held the Asian home run record of 56 homers in a season, established in 2003 while playing for Samsung in the KBO. Lee holds the KBO records for career runs scored, RBI, total bases, and slugging percentage. Combined, across the KBO and NPB, Lee has also recorded more hits than any other native-born South Korean player. Since the 2022 KBO season as the manager of the Doosan Bears, Lee has two playoff appearances. In 2022, Lee lead the Bears to their first wild card game under his reign against the NC Dinos where they were eliminated from playoff contention after losing their first game. Lee then continued to the playoffs in 2024 where he lost against the KT Wiz that ended their season.
Lee Jong-wook is a South Korean outfielder who plays for the Doosan Bears in the Korean professional baseball league.
Kim Tae-kyun is a South Korean first baseman who played for the Hanwha Eagles in the KBO League. He bats and throws right-handed. He is one of the top career hitters in the KBO, with a lifetime batting average over .320, and more than 300 career home runs and 1300 runs batted in.
Park Yong-taik is a South Korean outfielder who has played his entire career for the LG Twins in the KBO League. With 2,504 career hits, he is the all-time career hit leader in the KBO. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed.
Jeong Keun-woo is a former second baseman and shortstop who last played for the SK Wyverns, Hanhwa Eagles, and LG Twins in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.
Lee Dae-ho is a South Korean professional baseball player who played as a first baseman. During his career, he played for the Lotte Giants of the KBO League, Orix Buffaloes and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB).
Lee Taek-keun is an outfielder who plays for the Kiwoom Heroes in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed.
The Ssangbangwool Raiders were a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1990 and dissolved upon bankruptcy of the team's owner after the 1999 season. They were based in the North Jeolla Province and were members of the Korea Baseball Organization. They made the playoffs twice in their nine-year KBO history, losing both times, never making it to the Korean Series.
Choi Jeong is a third baseman who has played his whole career for the SK Wyverns in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed. Choi's 488 career home runs rank first on the KBO all-time list. His 313 career hit-by-pitches (HBP) is the most in the KBO as well as the world record. He was hit by his 288th pitch in 2021 and surpassed Hughie Jennings' 287 hit-by-pitches.
Kang Bong-Kyu is an outfielder who played for the Samsung Lions in the Korea Baseball Organization. He bats and throws right-handed. From 2017, he is the batting coach for the Samsung Lions
Ha Jae-Hoon is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder and pitcher for the SSG Landers of the KBO. He was formerly an outfielder in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2016 and for the Tokushima Indigo Socks of Shikoku Island League Plus but converted to pitching full-time when he joined the KBO.
Ha-seong Kim is a South Korean professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. Kim was drafted 41st overall by the Nexen Heroes in the 2014 KBO League Draft. He made his KBO debut with the Heroes in May 2014 and won the KBO Golden Glove Award in 2018, 2019 and 2020. In December 2020, Kim signed with the San Diego Padres, and made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut in 2021. In 2023, Kim became the first Korean-born player to win a Gold Glove Award.
Jung-hoo Lee is a South Korean professional baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in the KBO League for the Kiwoom Heroes.
Kang Baek-ho is a South Korean professional baseball first baseman and outfielder for the KT Wiz of the KBO League.
The 2018 Korean Series is the championship series of the 2018 KBO League season. The Doosan Bears, as the regular season champions, automatically advanced to the Korean Series, where they faced the SK Wyverns. The series ran from November 4 to November 12.
The 2019 KBO League season was the 38th season in the history of the KBO League. The regular season began on March 23 and ended on October 1. The All-Star break was extended from four days to seven.