Shout heard 'round the world
Probably the most novel method of kimchifermentation yet devised. Photo: The Korea Times
It would appear that the now-infamous Pine Tar Incident was closely watched by people all over the baseball universe.
From Korea comes news that Doosan Bears ace Park Myung-hwan's unusual habit--wearing cabbage leaves under his hat during games--has been forbidden by a special Rules Committee session of the Korean Baseball Association.
According to Park, he began to wear cabbage under his hat after hearing that the great Babe Ruth did so--presumably to shield his head from the heat of the summer sun. There is some merit to this--an old Italian cycling training manual suggests doing the same.
In any event, the umpires ruled that Park had violated the now-famous Rule 8.02(b) that caused the same ruckus in Anaheim so recently. The Korean authorities were harsh, but fair:
"In common sense, it is difficult to consider that wearing a cabbage leaf will affect pitches. But, since it has become a controversy, we decided to set a limit on the boundaries of foreign substances."
The BBC report that exceptions to the rule will be made if a player can produce a doctor's note in advance.