'A Surreal Feeling': Former Phillie Aaron Altherr Adapting To New Normal Playing In Korean Baseball League
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Many baseball fans are desperate to watch a game -- any game, anywhere. So many have turned to the Korean Baseball League and they've seen a familiar face to all of us in the Philadelphia region.
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As we wait for the return of Major League Baseball, former Phillies outfielder Aaron Altherr is having some huge games in South Korea, nearly 7,000 miles away.
Baseball returned there earlier this month, with some players wearing masks and no fans in the stands.
"One of the big points was the way the fans get into the game, they really get pretty crazy over here so I was looking forward to that. Hopefully, they can get them back in the stands pretty soon," Altherr said. "It basically just feels like a lot of intra-squad games, a lot of scrimmage games that we've been playing, it doesn't feel like a season game."
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The 29-year-old has quickly adapted to the new normal.
"We gotta wear masks all the time. They take our temperature every time we get to the field," Altherr explained. "Home and away, there's always guys in the front of stadiums to check our temperature before we walk in."
Altherr is just happy he's playing and never anticipated people would be watching back in the United States.
"I came over here to Korea thinking that nobody's ever going to see me play, I might have a couple friends check in on me but that's about it. Now, everybody in the states is watching me so it's kind of a surreal feeling," Altherr said.
As for now, this is a pretty good preview of what Major League Baseball will look like if it returns this summer.
