JAPAN – The newly-crowned Korean Series champion Kia Tigers will be looking for another title when the Korea Baseball Organization’s (KBO) top team collide with the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) champion Yomiuri Giants in the inaugural Korea-Japan Club Championship on Nov. 14 at Big N Stadium in Nagasaki, Japan.

The Korea-Japan Club Championship replaces the financially-strapped Asia Series, which started in 2005 with the four league champions from Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan.

The winner of this year’s event will receive 20 million yen ($218,000), while the losing team will receive 5 million yen ($54,500).

The Tigers will be missing several key players as foreign starters Aquilino Lopez and Rick Guttormson, who notched a combined 27 wins this past season, have both returned to the United States.

Also, right-hander Yoon Suk-min and speedy outfielder Lee Yong-kyu both must report to a four-week-long military boot camp on Nov. 5.

Photo courtesy of koreabaseball.blogspot.com

Tags: Japan, South Korea