Two Things That Surprised MLB Managers Visiting Korea: Tireless Cheerleaders... And One More?

Dodgers and Padres Managers Amazed by Cheer Culture and Cheerleaders' Stamina
K-Cheering Rarely Seen in MLB and Other Sports

What cultural aspect did a Major League Baseball (MLB) manager find most unfamiliar when visiting Korea? It turned out to be the 'cheerleading' culture in Korean baseball stadiums.

Dave Roberts, manager of the LA Dodgers, expressed his surprise in an interview after a practice game against the Kiwoom Heroes held at Gocheok Dome in Seoul on the 17th. "I watched the cheerleaders continuously until the 9th inning, and they cheered without taking a break," he said. "It was a very fresh sight that you can't see in the United States."

Cheering culture of Korean baseball photographed by Doug McKinney, a Los Angeles Dodgers specialist reporter [Image source=X]

The Dodgers won decisively that day, beating Kiwoom 14-3. Shohei Ohtani, the baseball star who came to Korea for this game, started as the second designated hitter but ended up with no hits and two strikeouts.

However, Roberts said, "It's okay. I watched his swing closely, and there was nothing particularly difficult," adding, "Today was not a very good day, but (Ohtani) will have 2 to 3 at-bats tomorrow."

Roberts was not the only one to take note of Korea's unique cheering culture. Mike Silt, manager of the San Diego Padres, who was preparing for a friendly match at 7 p.m. that day, also shared his thoughts in a pre-game interview. "I caught a glimpse of the Dodgers and Kiwoom game and felt a lot of energy," he said. "You could even feel the cheering enthusiasm inside the indoor stadium."

In fact, while cheerleaders sometimes encourage crowd participation at MLB games, it is very rare. This contrasts with basketball and American football games, where so-called 'dance squads' are common. The United States, the origin of cheerleading culture, frequently features cheerleaders not only in soccer and volleyball but even in gymnastics and chess competitions.

Unlike Korea or Japan, MLB rarely has cheerleader squads. Instead, characters wearing mascot costumes often lead cheers before and after games.
[Image source=Captured from MLB.com]

So why has American professional baseball distanced itself from cheerleading? The American internet culture media outlet 'HuffPost' once speculated that it might be due to the nature of the baseball game itself.

The outlet explained, "Baseball is more defensive than offensive, and it is an opportunistic sport rather than one driven by momentum. Fans know they should cheer not when the team's momentum is at its peak, but at the moment the team seizes an 'opportunity.' Therefore, cheerleaders are not necessary."

It also pointed out, "Baseball has a long season, and the importance of each regular-season game is relatively less compared to other sports. Considering the relatively long playtime, artificially keeping fans excited continuously is rather difficult."