There is no such thing as an aging curve. Even in the 40-year-old season, he performs exceptionally well. He remains one of the team’s best hitters and produces the best results when given the chance. KIA veteran left-handed hitter Choi Hyeong-woo (40) once again radiated hot energy at Champions Field.
Choi Hyung-woo came to bat as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 5th inning of the second game of the double header against LG held at Kia Champions Field in Gwangju on the 9th. He faced rookie sidearm pitcher Park Myung-geun and hit Park Myung-geun’s four-pitch, 146-kilometer fastball with a grand slam that went over the right fence. KIA, who won the first game of the previous double header with this home run, also won the second game. When Choi Hyung-woo, who was playing outfield defense in the top of the sixth inning, appeared on the electronic display, the audience once again gave him a warm round of applause.안전놀이터
This season’s batting average is 0.297, 16 home runs, 78 RBIs, and OPS is 0.872. He ranks second in the team in OPS after Na Seong-beom, and is tied for second in home runs with Na Seong-beom. Even now, he is a left-handed power hitter and problem solver that all pitchers fear. KIA has a season record of 59 wins, 52 losses, and 2 draws, led by Choi Hyung-woo’s grand slam in the second game of the doubleheader. SSG dropped to 5th and jumped to 4th. They are chasing 3rd place NC by 1.5 games.
After the game, Choi Hyung-woo said, “I feel good because we played well in both games of the double header against the first-place team. “From the first game, many fans came to the stadium and showed great support, and I felt that we had to do even better today,” he said.
When asked if the double header was a burden, he said, “It’s been a while since I played a double header, and it’s true that I’m tired. “But I thought we had to win because the opposing team was playing under the same conditions.”
He continued, “I went to bat as a pinch hitter, but Ko Jong-wook hit an RBI in front of me, so I was able to go to bat more comfortably. “Even if I was out anyway, it was 1 out and I could have continued the attack, so I thought about taking my swing comfortably rather than attacking with any strategy, and I think I got a good result as I ended up with a hit,” he recalled of the moment when he hit with bases loaded.
This pinch-hit grand slam became Choi Hyung-woo’s second pinch-hit home run and eighth grand slam.
Lastly, regarding his role as the most senior member, he said, “Rather than giving baseball advice to the players, I try to create a good atmosphere in the dugout by cheering them on,” adding, “Even the junior players have their own views on baseball established to some extent.” Because of the status, I think my role in the dugout is limited to that. “I think that if we play games with junior players in a good atmosphere, our grades will naturally follow, and we will be able to start fall baseball at a higher rank,” he said.