The Kiwoom Heroes ( Korean : 키움 히어로즈 ) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul . They are a member of the KBO League . The Heroes play their home games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong , a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of Seoul. The Heroes mascot is Teokdori ( 턱돌이 ; Mr. Jaw).
16-678: In 2014, the Futures League squad changed its name to Hwaseong Heroes ( 화성 히어로즈 ), differentiating from the first string. In 2019, Hwaseong Heroes renamed as Goyang Heroes ( 고양 히어로즈 ). The franchise was originally known as the Sammi SuperStars and had subsequent incarnations as the Chungbo Pintos and Pacific Dolphins. The team was renamed the Hyundai Unicorns after being sold to Hyundai in 1996, and
32-835: A Futures League team and played with Goyang Wonders in the Freedom Division; after two seasons the Wiz were elevated to the KBO (as the KT Wiz ) in 2015. (The Goyang Wonders, meanwhile, were dissolved after the 2014 season.) In 2015, the Futures League reorganized into three divisions: the Red League (Goyang Dinos, Hanwha Eagles, Hwaseong Heroes, SK Wyverns), the Blue League (Doosan Bears, LG Twins, Police, Suwon KT Wiz), and
48-624: The 2013 season . On 11 April 2013, the NC Dinos won their first game in the club's history against the LG Twins . As a new team in 2013, the Dinos were allowed three foreign players on their roster (as opposed to the usual two). In 2014, that limit was raised to four (while all non-expansion teams were limited to three). The 2014 Dinos signed pitchers Charlie Shirek , Eric Hacker , Thad Weber , and outfielder Eric Thames . In November 2020,
64-761: The Korea Baseball Organization as a member franchise. Changwon hereby became the first city having a baseball team among all the non-metropolitan cities in South Korea. In the 2012 season, NC Dinos competed in the unaffiliated Freedom Division of the Korea Baseball Futures League . On 8 May 2012, the Korea Baseball Organization officially approved NC Dinos' admission to the KBO League for
80-625: The Korean Series in their first year, but lost to the Doosan Bears to finish second. Korea Baseball Futures League KBO Futures League ( Korean : KBO 퓨처스리그 ) or Korea Baseball Futures League is South Korea 's second level of baseball, below the KBO League . It serves as a farm league with the purpose to develop professional players on-demand to play in the KBO League. The league consists of two divisions —
96-790: The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency , and the Sangmu Phoenix , part of the Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps . Many KBO League players serving compulsory military service opted to play for the Police and Sangmu teams, usually for a term of two seasons. The Hyundai Unicorns (formerly the Pacific Dolphins) — both the KBO League team and the second-tier team — were dissolved after the 2007 season. The minor league's name
112-531: The 2008 season, Woori Tobacco Company terminated their naming sponsor agreement, citing that the Heroes had not yet paid the full KBO founding fee, forcing the team to trade most of its star players for money. For the remainder of the 2008 season and into the 2009 season, the team used only "Heroes" as their name. On 8 February 2010, naming rights were sold to Nexen Tire . On 6 November 2018, naming rights were sold to Kiwoom Securities . The Kiwoom Heroes made it to
128-463: The Dinos won their first Korean Series championship, four games to two games over the Doosan Bears . This followed the team's first regular season championship, in which the Dinos finished the 2020 regular season in first place for the first time in the team's history. The NC Dinos have two mascots. Sseri is a green Brontosaurus that wears a necklace and has affectionately been nicknamed "Swole Daddy" by SB Nation . The Dinos' other mascot, Dandi,
144-598: The Police baseball team was the champion of the Northern League in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018. The Police team was disbanded after the 2019 Futures League season. NC Dinos The NC Dinos ( Korean : NC 다이노스 ) are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Changwon . They are a member of the KBO League . Since 2019, their home stadium is Changwon NC Park . NC Dinos are owned by video game developer NCSoft Corporation. On 1 July 2010,
160-566: The Southern League and the Northern League. These leagues are governed by the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). The league plays an 80-game season. Most of the Korean minor league teams carry the same name, and use the same uniforms, as their parent team. The KBO League was founded in 1982, with the second-tier league being founded in 1990. The initial roster of seven teams in the 1990 season was: The Ssangbangwool Raiders played
176-733: The Yellow League (Kia Tigers, Lotte Giants, Samsung Lions, Sangmu Phoenix). The 2015 Blue League champion was the Police Baseball Team; the Red League champion was the Goyang Dinos; and the Yellow League champion was the Sangmu Phoenix. The league returned to the Northern and Southern League divisions in 2016. The Sangmu Phoenix were champions of the Southern League in 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019;
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#1732773330428192-403: The cities of Changwon, Masan and Jinhae were integrated into one city, Changwon . As a result of the integration, Changwon became the eleventh largest city in South Korea. Afterward, Changwon drove forward the project, which attracted a baseball team in the city. On 22 December 2010, video game company NCSoft submitted a plan that it wanted to found a baseball team that would be later admitted to
208-585: The initial season in the Futures League; the team moved up to the KBO League in 1991 (although it left behind its minor-league team as well). The Raiders franchise was dissolved after the 1999 season. The SK Wyverns added a minor-league franchise in 2001, playing their home games at SK Dream Park in the Nam District of Incheon . Two unaffiliated teams joined the minor leagues in 2005: the Korean Police Baseball Team , operated by
224-510: Was also created for the Dinos and the Wonders. The Dinos only played the one season in the Futures League before being elevated to the KBO League — as the NC Dinos — prior to the 2013 season. Also in 2012, the third-level squad of Nippon Professional Baseball 's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks , began playing 12 games a year against Futures League teams. The Suwon KT Wiz started out in 2013 as
240-721: Was changed to the "Futures League" in 2008. That same year the Hwaseong Heroes joined the league. In 2012, two teams based in Goyang joined the Futures League: the Goyang Dinos and the Goyang Wonders . (The Wonders' games were considered unofficially " friendly " contests.) Now with 11 teams, the Futures League divided into two divisions: the Northern League and the Southern League. A "Freedom Division"
256-492: Was relocated from Incheon to Suwon . The Unicorns won the KBO championship four times (1998, 2000, 2003 and 2004). In January 2008, the team was disbanded. After that, Centennial Investments formed a new team called Woori Heroes. Unlike other clubs in the KBO League, which are controlled by chaebol companies , the Heroes are owned by a group of individuals led by Lee Chang-suk, rather than being owned by their title sponsor. During
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