Baseball in Incheon, South Korea (SK Wyverns)
Living in Seoul is magical thing for a baseball fan. Within two hours of public transportation, there are five teams in reach and so many different types of experiences in a day trip. I closest to Jamsil, and this time I made the farthest trip of the five central teams. About two hours on the subway was definitely worth it, to get to the Munhak Baseball Stadium in Incheon, South Korea. This is the home of the Incheon’s team, SK Wyverns. The SK Wyverns are a team that is normally in the hunt, and a common sight in the playoffs. They have a strong fan base and a gorgeous baseball park. Let’s break down how the experience is with three factors, the facility, the food, and the fans.
The Facility
As one of the more recently built stadiums in the KBO, the Munhak Baseball Stadium felt very modern, and very inclusive the whole way around. It’s a bit of a hybrid park that embraces both open and closed atmospheres. To clarify, most of it was in the typical style, where the food and drinks were in the concourse and away from the action. But, there were also sections that concessions stands, as in a Burger King, right in the middle of the seats. Of all of the baseball parks I have been to so far, this one felt like the closest resemblance to an MLB stadium.
The Food
This park is similar to Jamsil Stadium, in that there were a lot of recognizable global brands occupying the space. There were also smaller chains littered around, as well.
I’m starting to develop the habit or trying a hot dog at every stadium I go to. How could I go to a baseball game without one? Besides, so far I’ve seen every stadium with their own rendition, and it’s still an adventure in its own trying them out. On this day I tried two different ones, a Steff Hot Dog and a “Latin Avocado” Hot Dog. The Steff Dog was your typical American style frank, with ketchup, mustard, relish, and crispy onions. It wasn’t the most ambitious of choices, but honestly it was exactly what I needed. A hot dog that dared to be average is a rare commodity in this flashy culture, and it gave me the subtle beauty of getting exactly what I expected. The next hot dog fell so short of doing that, unfortunately. For the “Latin Avocado” Dog I was forced to wait in a long line, which actually heightened my expectations. Long lines are a positive endorsement, right? One bite in, and I felt as if I was shorted. It was comprised of ketchup, mustard, chopped raw onions, and slightest hint of an avocado paste. I really couldn’t put my finger on what exactly made it “latin”, and it certainly didn’t anywhere near a suitable amount of “avocado”. For the sake of positive energy, I digress.
The same stand, however did offer an empanada for only about $1.50. I was also excited to see what the Korean version of an empanada would be, and it was a unique eating experience for sure. Inside, there was no meat, just cheese and corn. It actually tasted like an inside-out arepa, and if I wanted to put the “empanada” label aside, it was actually delicious.
Inside the stadium, the only alcohol being served is beer. It’s the same standard price I’ve seen at other Korean ballparks, which is about $4.00 for a liter. It’s a good price for a great time.
The Fans
Travelling to baseball games outside of Seoul has been a great revelation to the nuances in fan differences across the country. I’m slowly starting to realize there is much more to Korean Baseball than the non-stop party atmosphere I’ve touched on before. Don’t get me wrong, with relaxed security and alcohol laws, you can always bring the party anywhere into the stadium. It’s just that, so far, the fans in Incheon and Suwon don’t choose to do it as much. Seoul is a city known for its legendary partying, so it’s natural that this is going to be evident at Seoul baseball games that have a lot of tourists. In Incheon, the passion was given more to the game itself, and there was a lot of passion to go around.
These fans came in numbers. There wasn’t a lot of “tailgating” going on outside of the stadium, but when inside the stadium was naturally full. These fans were loud, and I got the feeling that they didn’t have to be drunk to be loud. It was all passion, and it was all for the team. The SK Wyvern fans seriously do get my respect.
They went up against the Lotte Giants, a big team from Busan that is characterized by having one of the most intense fan bases in the country. This was not a good day for the home team, as Lotte went on a riot and had an eight run lead by the eighth inning. This, however, deterred the SK fans in no way, shape, or form from cheering their hearts out. Even when down eight runs late in the game, with no hope of a comeback, I noticed the fans were actually louder than at the start of the contest. Nobody left early, because of the score at least, and the singing carried on. This is a rare thing to find in sports in general, where you’ll typically find half-empty stadiums at any hint of a blowout.
Final Score
Here in Incheon, I didn’t find any chug cams. I didn’t find any fans passed out in the concourses, and I definitely didn’t find any fridges packed to the brim with vodka. But, what I did find was an eye-appealing park that was filled with fans that truly loved being in it with their team. I found an environment that undoubtedly finds a way to separate themselves from Seoul. For all that Munhak Baseball Park and the SK Wyverns have to offer, I’ll be coming back here for another game, for sure.
