“I was waiting, saying ‘please’.”
Hanwha Eagles and SSG Landers at SSG Landers Field on June 26th.
In the top of the ninth inning, with Hanwha leading 6-0, Choi Jae-hoon drew a full-count walk against SSG pitcher Cho Byung-hyun.
Cheers and applause erupted from the stands of both teams. Hanwha deservedly won the game. However, SSG welcomed the runners on base.
The next batter was Kim Kang-min. Kim joined the SK Wyverns (now SSG) in 2001 and played with the team for 22 years until last year.
In the second round of the draft, held after the end of last season, SSG didn’t keep Kim as a protected player, and Hanwha, in need of outfield reinforcements, selected him. 카지노사이트 It was a shocking situation that led him to consider retirement. But Kim accepted the reality and became a member of the Eagles.
First ‘family’ outing. After being removed from the starting lineup, Kim entered the game as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the seventh inning.
He was a long way from batting. He was batting first, but the previous inning had ended with him on first. At least three batters had to come up to bat before Kim could get back to the plate.
It was not an easy situation. Hanwha focus created an opportunity.
Hanwha scored in the top of the eighth inning on a single by Peraza and a home run by Roh Si-hwan. They only needed one batter to reach base. However, in the top of the ninth, the first two batters struck out.
Choi Jae-hoon, who was batting ninth, had to come up to bat for Kim Kang-min. He stole second, but four pitches came in a row to load the bases.
As Kim stepped up to the plate, both dugouts erupted in applause and cheers. Kim took off his helmet and greeted the crowd.
The crowd from both teams sang Kim’s chant in unison. The chant didn’t include the team’s name, so it was just for him. Kim retreated to the sidelines. However, the crowd from both teams applauded him until the end.
After the game, Kim said, “It was emotional. It was really touching that they were singing for one player, even though it was a different team.” “I was watching (Choi Jae-hoon’s at-bat), 메이저사이트 begging him to bat. I really wanted to get in the batter’s box and hit, and if I don’t get in the batter’s box today, I’ll greet him in the field and greet him at the plate, so I hope I can do it properly today.”
The SSG players went from friends to foes. “It was a different feeling,” says Kim Kang-min. It was a different feeling to catch a pitch from a player I was rooting for,” said Kim.
It was his first at-bat, so he wanted to do well. “They were cheering me on a lot, so I had a strong desire to get a result. Cho Byung-hyun’s ball was good. It wasn’t a ball that I could hit easily,” he smiled.