The Korean pro baseball team Seoul Heroes are letting "little heroes," or ordinary people contributing to society, to throw the first pitch in home games.

In the Heroes` home opener against the Samsung Lions Tuesday last week, a firefighter threw the opening pitch, breaking the long-held tradition of having popular figures such as celebrities and high-ranking officials do so.

Other teams have singers, comedians and actors throw the first pitch, but the Heroes invited a street cleaner Thursday and a mailman Friday to the mound. On Saturday, members of the Korea University baseball team threw the first pitch after sending the Heroes a letter expressing their love for baseball.

In the United States, the birthplace of baseball, figures who contributed to the development of the sport or the community a baseball team belongs get a chance to throw the first pitch.

“Invitation to the Mound” was the theme of the Heroes’ opening ceremony. Instead of celebrities, the team chose what it calls “little heroes” to give them something to remember. Netizens hailed the move, with one saying, “The Heroes deserve a big hand.”

The Heroes rejected an offer by an entertainment agency to provide popular entertainers for the opening ceremony.

"We don’t want heroes with supernatural power,” a team source said. “We will continue to invite little heroes in our neighborhoods who are unsung yet indispensible to society.”


source: donga.com
article date: 090415