Referee Lee Young-jae of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), who was indefinitely demoted in the Futures League due to a ‘previous misjudgment’, participated as the referee in a game at Sajik Stadium in Busan after a month of disciplinary action. It was confirmed that the KBO decided to lift the disciplinary action against this referee less than a month after the heavy punishment of ‘indefinite demotion’ was issued. The KBO decided to return the referee to the 1st team game without a clear explanation of the background of the lifting of the disciplinary action, and criticism that it was merely a ‘punishment with a cotton bat’ is inevitable.
Umpire Lee Young-jae served as the referee for a match between the Lotte Giants and Doosan Bears held at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 10th.
According to KBO, referee Lee returned to the first team by playing as second baseman in the game between NC Dinos and LG Twins held at NC Park in Changwon on the 2nd. On the next day, the 3rd, he served as the referee. Referee Lee had to start the Lotte home game at Sajik Stadium in Busan, where the misjudgment took place in the second game of his return to the first team.
Previously, the KBO issued a disciplinary action of △indefinite downgrade in the Futures League △a fine of 1 million won to referee Lee Young-jae, who acknowledged the score by incorrectly applying the game rules in the match between Lotte and KT held at Sajik Baseball Stadium in Busan on the 8th of last month. The KBO issued a fine of 1 million won and a warning to referee Jang Joon-young, first base referee Kim Ik-soo, third base referee Kim Jeong-guk, and third base referee Yoon Sang-won, who all served as referees in the game that day.
On the 7th of last month, referee Lee was hit by a batted ball by KT hitter Kim Sang-soo near second base in the first and third base situations in the beginning of the 4th inning of the game between Lotte and KT. The ball was deflected, and in the meantime, the KT third base runner stepped on the groove, and the first base runner arrived at third base. The umpires returned the runner on first base to second base, but the runner on third base who stepped on home scored a run.스포츠토토
This was a misjudgment in violation of Article 6 of KBO Baseball Rules 5.06(c). ‘When a fair ball that does not touch an infielder including pitcher is hit by a runner or an umpire in fair territory, or when a fair ball that does not pass through an infielder (excluding pitcher) is hit by an umpire- the batter becomes a runner and has to clear the base. This is because the rule that each runner advances is incorrectly applied.
Because of this, only the runner on first base could reach second base, and the runner on third base couldn’t come home. However, the judges, including this referee, made the wrong decision, and in the end, Lotte gave up one point that it should not have lost.
Meanwhile, Lotte is leading 2-0 as of the 5th inning against Doosan held on the 10th.