'MLB Breakfast Club' launches for fans watching early morning games

MLB Korea has launched the "MLB Breakfast Club," an event designed for fans who wake up early to follow Major League Baseball. From June 2nd to 7th, fans can gather at the Mukjeong restaurant in Jung-gu, Seoul, to enjoy exclusive menus crafted by Chef Austin Kang while watching live MLB games. The event aims to blend baseball fandom with culinary experiences.

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Korea is like my second home. I try to visit once or twice every year. I'm glad to see more people enjoying MLB and the Korean players active in MLB.

A media day held on June 1st, the day before the official opening, featured former MLB players Eric Thames, Byung-hyun Kim, and Dustin Nippert. Thames, who played in Korea for the NC Dinos, expressed his affection for the country, calling it his "second home." He recalled watching the World Baseball Classic match between Australia and Korea at 4 a.m. and expressed his continued interest in Korean baseball.

Thames also shared humorous anecdotes about his time in Korea and the current "tarps off" cheering trend in MLB stadiums, jokingly citing his "belly fat" as a reason he wouldn't participate. Nippert, who settled in Korea after his playing career, highlighted the increasing number of KBO players successfully transitioning to MLB, citing Thames, Merrill Kelly, and Eric Peddy as examples. He sees the "MLB Breakfast Club" as a new way for fans to engage with baseball by supporting these players.

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When I first came to Korea, there weren't many foreign players going back to MLB. But players like Thames, Peddy, and Kelly have opened the path for foreign players in Korea to return to MLB. It's something to be thankful for.

Byung-hyun Kim, a former MLB World Series champion and now a restaurateur, emphasized the inseparable link between baseball and food. He noted that baseball's game structure allows for a more relaxed experience of enjoying food compared to other sports. Chef Austin Kang explained that his special menus were inspired by the culinary scenes of Los Angeles, where he grew up, and incorporated Korean elements like kimchi and ssamjang into dishes named after MLB stars such as Manny Machado and Mike Trout.

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Baseball and food are inseparable. Baseball games have breaks, allowing fans to fully enjoy food, unlike other sports.