SKorean tech millionaire joins US baseball team

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) A South Korean millionaire who founded the country's first independent baseball club has joined an American team as a knuckleball pitcher.

The Goyang Wonders said Thursday that 37-year-old Hur Min is joining the Rockland Boulders, a team in the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, also known as the Can-Am League.

The oddball entrepreneur and baseball fan has trained to throw knuckleballs for the past eight years but has not played organized baseball before. Baseball Hall of Famer Phil Niekro has been one of his teachers.

Hur throws knuckleballs at 90 kph (56 mph), the Wonders said.

"I'm happy to show the Wonders players and others who haven't had a chance that you'll see a fruit of your effort if you don't give up and keep trying," Hur said in a statement. "I'll continue to take up challenges for a higher stage."

In 2011, Hur founded the Goyang Wonders, South Korea's first professional baseball team not affiliated with the Korea Baseball Organization. Most of its players were unable to join top-tier teams.

He told a Korean reporter in 2011 that he "seriously considered" buying the Los Angeles Dodgers when it was put up for sale.

Hur made it big when his company's online game, Dungeon & Fighter, became popular in China. He said in a 2011 interview that his assets were close to 1 trillion won ($899 million).

Hur was CEO of online commerce firm Wemakeprice until last month.