Meet the Gwangju Bombers
Written by Joel Klimas.
The Gwangju Bombers baseball team is now finishing its sixth official season in the city, although the team did exist in an unofficial capacity for a bit prior to then. The team has played in a few different leagues throughout that tenure, including a year in a league in Naju, but has mostly played in Gwangju in the Cheomdan area because the majority of fields in the city are gathered there beside the river.
The team usually plays games on Saturdays from the first week of March until the end of September. On average, we will end up with about 15 registered players every year with one volunteering to be the coach for a two-year stint.
We have, throughout the team’s existence, had the benefit of a sponsorship from Tim Whitman and his restaurant, The First Alleyway. In fact, if you look to the right of the bar area in The First Alleyway, you can see some Bombers memorabilia on the wall, as well as our very own trophy shelf, which has slowly been filling up.
All in all, being on the team is a great way to socialize, get some exercise, and play a sport that most guys grew up playing when they were younger but found little opportunity in their adult life to play again. The team consists of foreigners as well as Koreans and plays against other Korean teams in a ten-team league division.
Most of the players have families and look forward to Saturdays to get out of the house and enjoy the comradery of sport and hang out with friends. In truth though, it is a competitive team. Guys work hard to improve their skills and play at a top level to win. However, the team has players of all skill levels and anyone, regardless of ability, is encouraged to join the team for the love of the game.
Off the field, the team also enjoys a lot of time together. During the season, we do monthly team dinners at The First Alleyway and other events, like cornhole tournament BBQ’s and trips to watch the Kia Tigers. I would highly encourage anyone who enjoys the game of baseball and would like to get on the field to consider joining. Just look up the Bombers Baseball Team Facebook group and send a message.
If you do show up to play a game, you will most likely meet guys like Justin “Long Ball” Gunn-Taylor, who won this year’s league homerun championship with nine, three of which came in just one game. Then there is Jackie “Hollywood” Choi, who works off the field to get the team organized within the league. On the field, he continually finds ways to keep the bench laughing with his antics on the base pads. There is also Ian “The Workhorse” McCloud, who is both the starting pitcher and backup catcher, and who will literally play every position on the field throughout the season. Not to be outdone is Jimmy “Wheels” Harris, the lead-off hitter, starting shortstop, stolen-base leader, and not-half-bad guitarist to boot.
You can also meet Remy “No Sleeves” Warren, our resident right fielder who unfortunately suffers from the inability to wear shirts with sleeves on them. Sadly, modern medicine has not yet offered any relief for his condition. You would also find yourself in the close company of Robert Sproule, the retired coach and all-around stand-up guy. Also, there is James “What Time is the Game” Gardener, Jeff “The Hammer” Hamilton, and myself, Joel “The Coach” Klimas. We all have a lot of fun and welcome anyone in the community who would like to play baseball and possibly earn a new nickname.
Photographed by Jackie Choi
The Author
Joel Klimas is an American living in the city of Gwangju. He has been in the country for eight years and in this city for five. He enjoys playing baseball and being active in the foreign community.