SSG Landers owner Jeong Yong-jin, angry over the decision controversy, made a surprise visit to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).안전놀이터

According to the SSG team, owner Yong-jin Jeong visited the KBO at 11:30 a.m. on the 22nd and spoke with KBO President Heo Heo-yeon for 30 minutes.

The SSG club explained that Vice Chairman Chung visited the KBO in person to boost the morale of the SSG players who narrowly lost due to a controversial decision the day before and to ask for the KBO’s sense of duty as the organization responsible for running professional baseball.

Previously, SSG lost 1-2 in the final match of the season against the LG Twins of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 21st. One decision in particular left me with deep regret.

The problem occurred in the bottom of the 8th inning when LG was ahead 2-0 with one out and bases loaded. Park Seong-han’s hit by Reiner-seong deflected off the body of first base umpire Hyo-dong Woo, and controversy arose over the video review of the decision.

Umpire Woo Hyo-dong, who was hit by a batted ball, took a posture as if raising both arms, and soon after, the four umpires gathered together to discuss the matter. The referee made the final decision on whether it was a fair or a foul, and the LG bench requested a video review. 

Results remain centrifugal. The interpretation center determined that Park Seong-han’s batted ball grazed first baseman Kim Min-seong’s mitt. But this wasn’t the end. In the case of third base runner Guillermo Heredia, the score was recognized as is, but the review center ruled first base runner Han Yu-seom out.

Then SSG coach Kim Won-hyung rushed out of the dugout and made a strong appeal. Han Yu-seom, who was watching the first base umpire, argued that he could not run to second base, and on the contrary, the reading center and KBO thought that Han Yu-seom should have gone to second base. The decision of the reading center left room for controversy in that a decision that everyone was satisfied with was not made.

It took about 10 minutes just to review the video, and the game was stopped for more than 20 minutes due to Coach Kim’s prolonged protest. It was an uncommon incident, but SSG, desperate for an immediate win, could not ignore it.

The next day, ahead of the 14th game of the season against the Lotte Giants, SSG coach Kim Won-hyung said, “I just said it was a wrong reading. I know that it won’t change even if I talk to the referees on the field, but I asked them to read it again. The referees said according to the regulations, “I said it couldn’t be done, and I was frustrated, so I said that too,” he said. “I just said it was a wrong reading. I know that it won’t change even if I tell the referees on the field, but I asked them to read it again. The referees followed the rules. “I said it wouldn’t work, and I was frustrated, so I said the same thing,” he said, expressing his frustration.

Team owner Jeong Yong-jin, who has never hidden his affection for the club, said on his Instagram after the game, “The victory was taken away. I have a lot to say, but I won’t say it. I hope this incident prevents any more decisions like this.” He expressed his frustration, saying, “There are a lot of rumors around me about the background. It is credible. I hope it is not true.” He also expressed strong dissatisfaction with the post by leaving replies such as “This is magic that turned a sweep double into a grounder to first base” and “(I give space to a comment asking what I can believe in to continue playing baseball in a league like this).”