Lee Min ho, The Former KBO Referee

“I accept the personnel committee’s decision to fire, but I really want to clear up the misunderstanding about the ‘cover-up.’”

“The expression ‘what we’re going to get away with’ is ref’s slang for ‘let’s resume the game according to the manual’”

Former referee Lee Min-ho, who was disciplined by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) Personnel Committee for 'contract termination', which is effectively dismissal, said, "I accept the decision of the Personnel Committee," and "I sincerely apologize to my fans.

I want to apologize whenever I have the chance" He bowed his head.

However, he said, "It is not true that there was an attempt to conceal or manipulate.

I can say this with great confidence," and added, "I worked as a baseball umpire for 28 years and lived with the wariness that my single ball decision could determine the life of a player." 온라인카지노

“Including that day, I have never once lost my belief that decisions must be made honestly and fairly.”

The KBO held a personnel committee meeting on the 19th to take disciplinary action against the referee who undermined the fairness of the league through mistakes and inappropriate words and actions related to ABS (automatic pitch judgment system) decisions during the game between NC Dinos and Samsung Lions held at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 14th.

“We have deliberated,” he said, adding, “We are terminating the contract with referee Lee Min-ho.”

On the 20th, the day after he officially took off his referee uniform, former referee Lee Min-ho said in a phone call with Yonhap News, "The personnel committee gave me time to explain.

I was grateful just for having such an opportunity."

He added, "The reason for contract termination was also 'manipulation and concealment' ', rather than 'damage to fairness'.

Of course, the expression ‘compromising fairness’ is also devastating to me, who has been a referee for a long time.

Still, I am satisfied with the personnel committee's decision that 'there are no suspicions of manipulation or concealment.'

“Now, I am grateful for that explanation,” he said.

Former referee Lee Min-ho was the assistant referee for the Daegu game on the 14th.

At that time, NC was ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the 3rd inning with 2 outs and runners on 1st base.

At the plate of Samsung's Lee Jae-hyun, umpire Seung-hoon Moon shouted 'Ball' when NC starter Jae-hak Lee's 2nd pitch was a fastball.

However, ABS ruled this ball a 'strike'.

NC, who confirmed that Lee Jae-hak's second pitch passed the strike zone through the dugout tablet PC that can confirm ABS decisions, protested to the umpires.

Jaehak Lee had already thrown three more balls.

Four referees, including the referee and assistant referee, gathered to discuss whether to accept NC's protest, and assistant referee Lee Min-ho took the microphone.

Referee Lee Min-ho said to the fans, "The ball (Jae-hak Lee's second pitch) that Ji-chan Kim threw when he was stealing base was signaled to the umpire as 'ball' by voice.

However, after checking the ABS monitor, it was judged to be a strike," he said.

“I appealed, but according to the rules, I have to protest before the next pitch starts, so the ‘appeal statute of limitations’ has expired and I will proceed as per the original judgment.”

The quiet conversation between the referees before the referee publicly explained the rules caused controversy.

During the 4th trial agreement process, the assistant referee was caught on TV saying

to the referee, "Please say that the sound was clearly recognized as a ball.

That's the only way we can get away with it."

The KBO Personnel Committee judged this remark to be an ‘act that undermined fairness.’

Former referee Lee Min-ho said, "It is a remark that is likely to cause misunderstanding.

I apologize repeatedly to the fans and officials for that," and then added, "There are parts I would like to explain."

In a calm voice, he explained what happened for about 8 minutes, from NC's appeal until he took the microphone.

Former umpire Lee Min-ho said, "The umpire (umpire Seung-hoon Moon) said he heard the ABS decision through the ball. The third base umpire (umpire Pyeong-ho Choo), who listened to the ABS decision through in-ears along with the umpire, said, 'There was a crackling noise and the voice was hard to hear.'

“I checked with the two umpires several times after NC’s appeal,” he said.

“At the time NC coach Kang In-kwon appealed, the next pitch had already been made, so even if it was recorded as a strike late on the tablet, the ball in question had an ‘appeal statute of limitations.’

“We had no choice but to maintain centrifugal judgment and the game was run according to the manual,” he recalled.

An explanation continued regarding the problematic statement, “Please say it was recognized as a ball.

If we don’t want to break up,” the explanation continued.

He said, "If the umpires' conversation had been heard from the beginning, there would have been fewer misunderstandings," and "Before our voices appeared on the broadcast, we checked with the umpire and third base umpire several times, 'How did the ABS decision sound?'

The umpire manager Before explaining the appeal situation to the fans, the scene where the voice was caught on the broadcast to inform the team members of 'the process by which this decision was made' was the last scene as the team leader to confirm that 'the referee heard the ball" He said.

He explained that the expression ‘what we are going to get out of’ is ‘slang for judgment.’

Former referee Lee Min-ho said, "The referees use the slang 'get out' to mean 'let's settle the appeal situation and resume the game according to the manual.'"

He added, "Of course, if you are not familiar with this kind of slang, you can naturally misunderstand."

“I am sorry for causing this misunderstanding, but I want you to know that it was not an act of manipulation or cover-up.”

He said, "I didn't lie to the fans. If we realized that we had misjudged the ABS voice, we would have grabbed the microphone and said, "We mistakenly judged that the ball that ABS called a strike was a ball.

However, the appeal statute of limitations has expired and the game has no choice but to remain in the centripetal order.

“I would have said, ‘I’m sorry,’” he said, adding, “At the time, the situation was conveyed exactly as it was at the stadium”

Former referee Lee Min-ho knows that this explanation cannot overturn the decision to ‘dismissal’.

However, he said, "I really want to escape from the misunderstanding that it is a judgment that conceals a mistrial.

I have never forgotten my philosophy that 'my decision can change someone's life, so all decisions must be made carefully and fairly.'"

“I am leaving like this, but I hope you know my sincerity.

I don’t want to be a father who is embarrassing to my children.

And I lived without shame,” he said in a careful voice.

Even though he became the subject of the biggest controversy after the introduction of ABS, former referee Lee Min-ho said, "ABS can be a good system.

If we improve the problems felt in the field, it will definitely help the development of Korean baseball."

Former referee Lee Min-ho, who was explaining calmly, also had a trembling voice when he left a message saying, 'What I want to say to my fellow referees remaining in the KBO.'

He said, "I am truly sorry to our referees for having to leave like this.

Our referees stand on the ground today to make fair decisions.

Just as they have done so far, please work hard to make fair decisions in silence."