When new Cardinals pitcher Seung-hwan Oh and new Twins slugger Byung-ho Park start their first day of spring training next month, the Korean players will be in the same boat former big-leaguer Josh Lindblom found himself in when he made the opposite trip last year.
After being designated for assignment by both the Oakland Athletics and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Linidblom signed with the Lotte Giants of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). They trained in Arizona, but that first day was an eye-opener for the right-hander.
Pitchers threw staggering 80- to 100-pitch bullpen sessions.