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Royals' 'superfan' SungWoo Lee arrives from South Korea

 
Kansas City Royals fan Sung Woo Lee, from South Korea, shows off a World Series towel before Game 1 of baseball's World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)  WS333
Kansas City Royals fan Sung Woo Lee, from South Korea, shows off a World Series towel before Game 1 of baseball's World Series between the Kansas City Royals and the San Francisco Giants Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2014, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) WS333
Published Oct. 22, 2014

SEOUL, South Korea — The die-hard, long-time Royals fan from Seoul who became an international celebrity after he was superstitiously credited with sparking the team's playoff run created quite a scene at Kauffman Stadium on Tuesday night before the World Series opener.

Fans clogged stadium concourses, snapping hundreds of photographs of SungWoo Lee as he made his way to his seat before the first pitch. Lee posed for photos and waved to the Royals faithful.

Despite living more than 6,500 miles from Kansas City, Lee sure looked like a familiar face at the Royals' ballpark — and to some, he was.

After learning of his passion for their team, a group of American fans helped Lee arrange a visit to Kansas City in August so he could watch a Royals game in person for the first time. By the time he returned to Seoul, the Royals had won nine of 10 and were in first place, and Lee had gained widespread fame among sports fans in the United States and South Korea.

Despite being considered a good luck charm by the club and its fan base, Lee, 38, said in a telephone interview Monday night that he doesn't feel any pressure.

"I just want to root for the team with fellow Royals fans as hard as I can," he said. "I will try to enjoy every moment."

GIANTS' 'SUPERFAN': Patriots QB Tom Brady, a native of San Mateo, Calif., posted a photo on Facebook of himself in a Giants jacket posing as if he were batting, with the caption: "Gearing up to watch my hometown Giants in the World Series."

GAME 2 MATCHUP: The starting pitchers for Game 2 are a study in contrasts.

The Royals will send out rookie RHP Yordano Ventura, the hard-throwing Dominican who grew up idolizing Pedro Martinez and now talks to him just about daily. San Francisco will counter with veteran RHP Jake Peavy, the hired gun from Mobile, Ala., who helped the Red Sox win the 2013 World Series.

"A lot of energy, I think, on both sides," said Peavy, pointing out perhaps the one thing they have in common. "We'll have our work cut out for us, for sure."

ROSTER CHANGE: INF Jayson Nix, a former Rays reserve, was added to the Royals' active roster in place of rookie INF Christian Colon. Nix, 32, hasn't played since the wild-card playoff win over the A's on Sept. 30.