Tyler Saladino was a fan favorite on the South Side when he spent parts of four seasons with the White Sox as a utility infielder. 

In 2015, he got his first major league hit against the crosstown rival Cubs. A year later, in 2016, his 9th inning single provided a thrilling walk-off win against the Cubs. That season, he managed to get 298 at bats, hitting 8 homers and batting .282 with a .725 OPS.

In 2018, Saladino was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and then last year, he gained some brief national attention with the rare feat of hitting grand slams on consecutive days.

When it looked like he might have to take a minor league contract this past winter and fight for a major league roster spot, Saladino opted instead to sign with the Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). Then, the COVID-19 pandemic came, and sports around the world shut down. 

Now, the KBO is one of the few professional sports leagues actually playing games, and Korean baseball is one of the few live events seen on ESPN.

Saladino spoke with “Chicago Tonight” from his apartment in Daegu, South Korea.