A boy in a bubble threw out a socially distanced 'first pitch' during Korean baseball league's return to action

• South Korean baseball league KBO kicked off its season on Tuesday.
• To commemorate the beginning of the season, a boy in a baseball-like bubble walked from the pitcher's mound to home plate as a "first pitch."
• KBO is playing behind closed doors, with stringent rules on players and personnel, but the return of live baseball has been welcomed by fans and will be aired on ESPN.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

KBO, South Korea's professional baseball league, kicked off on Tuesday, marking one of the more prominent returns to action in sports in the world.

To commemorate the moment, a boy threw out a first pitch before the KT Wiz and Lotta Giants game, except that he was in a bubble and didn't actually throw anything.

Instead, Lee Raon, a nine-year-old baseball fan, according to Reuters, stood on the mound in a baseball-designed bubble. He then walked toward home plate and high-fived the catcher. And baseball began.

Here's a .gif of the moment:

KBO is hoping to play its full, 144-game season, despite a late start. The games are played behind closed doors, players receive temperature checks twice daily, and all personnel not in uniform must wear masks and gloves, according to NPR. If a player shows symptoms of the coronavirus, they will be quarantined and the stadium they played in will be shut down.

Despite the lengths the league has to go to to play, the return of live sports has been welcomed by fans. ESPN will be producing six English-language broadcasts per week, airing on ESPN2 at 5:30 a.m. ET on weekdays, and 4 a.m. ET on Saturdays, and 1 a.m. ET on Sundays.

• Read more:
• The Korean baseball league is bringing live sports back to ESPN — here's how to watch the KBO League
• The NFL is considering many options to play a full season this fall despite the coronavirus pandemic — here's what the 2020 NFL season could look like
• A key figure in English soccer has put forward a major change to the rules of the game when the Premier League returns
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