SOUTH KOREA – Can age really be nothing but a number?

As the Korea Baseball Organization clubs begin their training camp this week, two players, Hanwha Eagles’ pitcher Song Jin-woo and the Heroes’ catcher Kim Dong-soo, are in their 40s. Four others, the Eagles’ Koo Dae-sung, the Heroes’ Jun Jun-ho, the Samsung Lions’ Yang Jun-hyuk and the SK Wyverns’ Ga Deuk-yeom, will turn the big four-zero during the new season. These veterans, who have played for a combined 100 seasons, will be out to prove in 2009 that age is indeed just a meaningless numerical figure.

The left-handed Song, who turns 43 in February, is so old that three of his coaches are younger than he is. He’s been around so long that he has a teammate, rookie pitcher Kim Joo, who was born in the same year that Song made his KBO debut: 1989.

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Tags: South Korea