Why Vegas Golden Knights fans should root for the NC Dinos in KBO

Unless you have been living under a rock during lockdown you would have heard of the KBO, and we’ve got the perfect team for you if are a Vegas Golden Knights fan.

Otherwise known as the Korea Baseball Organization, the KBO was one of the first major professional sports leagues to make a comeback during the COVID-19 pandemic in early May, and it could interest some Vegas Golden Knights fans.

While some of you may prefer to stick with hockey, there will be a section of our readership that also share a passion for baseball.

With the MLB still on hiatus and thrashing out a way to return, the Korea Baseball Organization is the perfect way to fill that void.

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Famed for their over-the-top bat flips and flurry of home runs, it is an entertaining substitute for both MLB and sports-starved fans.

So, it got us thinking…

Which Korea Baseball Organization team should Golden Knights fans root for?

With only ten teams in the league you aren’t exactly spoilt for choice, but we did our research and came up with the perfect option.

Say hello to your new heroes:

The NC Dinos.

Currently sitting pretty atop the standings with a stellar 14-3-0 record and a 0.824 PCT, the Dinos also lead the KBO in both home runs with 23 and ERA (3.26).

Why should Golden Knights fans root for the Dinos?

Well, they are actually pretty similar if you dig beneath the surface.

For starters, the Dinos are one of the youngest teams in the KBO having only played their first season in 2013.

But, like the Golden Knights, the NC Dinos have wasted little time in emerging as a powerhouse having made the playoffs in five of their first seven seasons in the KBO.

Not bad at all.

The Golden Knights made a stunning run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural year, while they will have a 100% record when it comes to making the postseason as long as hockey returns this year.

So Vegas fans can certainly relate to the Dinos when it comes to being successful straight out of the gates.

Also, the NC Dinos have a rising star in outfielder Sung-Bum Na who is represented by super agent Scott Boras.

Na produced five consecutive seasons of at least a .309 batting average and an .885 OPS before suffering a gruesome leg injury in 2019, but a strong bounce back this season could finally land Na the MLB dream he has been chasing for a while.

Outfielder Na Sung-bum #47 of NC Dinos bats in the bottom of the fifth inning during the KBO League game between NC Dinos and SK Wyverns. (Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) /

The Dinos also have Catcher Eui-Ji Yang who got some MVP attention in 2019 after hitting .354/.438/.574, leading the KBO in all three categories while smashing 20 home runs in 118 games.

Think of Sung-Bum Na and Eui-Ji Yang as the Dinos equivalent of Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty for the Golden Knights.

And, if you need further reason to root for the Dinos, then check out their mascot who has been attracting a lot of attention.

A beefed up dinosaur sporting some bling around its neck, Sseri the Brontosaurus has been nicknamed “Swole Daddy” by SB Nation and it is very apt.

Swole Daddy with his chain and his bulging biceps is a sight to behold, and we think he would get on well with Chance the Gila Monster, the Golden Knights mascot, like a house on fire.

All in all, we are having a lot of fun watching the NC Dinos dominate the KBO and they seem the perfect team to adopt for all Golden Knights fans.

We’re all sports-starved right now and the KBO is a lot of fun to watch, so getting behind the Dinos helps to fill a void until hockey returns.

Next. Pros & Cons of a 24-team Playoff format. dark

Let’s hope for a double celebration with the NC Dinos winning the KBO Korean Series and the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup.

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