adminDoosan exhibition held in Mokdong on September 16, 2011, Samsung exhibition held in Literature on June 1, 2021, and Doosan exhibition held in Gwangju on April 8, 2023.
All three of these ending hits were ‘pinch hits’ and were close finishes. The first finisher was Nexen Heroes, the second was SSG Landers, and the last was KIA Tigers.
KIA outfielder Koh Jong-wook (34) came out as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning with one out and bases loaded in the Doosan Bears game held at Kia-Champions Field in Gwangju on the 8th, and hit the right time to finish. It was the 3rd ending hit in his personal career and the 1250th ending hit in KBO league history.토토사이트
After the game, Ko Jong-wook met with reporters and said, “It would have been difficult if I had entered the plate in the situation of 2 out 1st and 2nd base, but (Ryu) Ji-hyeok got on base (with a walk) and 1 out was loaded. So it was easy to hit. It felt so good,” he said, revealing his feelings at the end.
Ahead of this season, I built up my body in the 2nd team instead of the 1st team. Ko Jong-wook said, “I was pushed out of the competition because I was lacking. Still, today (KIA Kim Jong-guk) coach gave me the opportunity to be a pinch hitter. I wanted to do well,” he said.
Ko Jong-wook often travels as a substitute. Even last year, he played most of the time as a pinch hitter. He said, “From the time he practices batting, he really tries to focus on one at-bat, one at-bat. It’s because I’m not given every plate.” At the same time, he added, “I prepare hard by talking a lot with coach Lee Beom-ho (KIA hitting coach).”
He said that he had a total of three walk-off hits so far, but that this walk-off hit was the most enjoyable. Koh Jong-wook said, “I have never hit a finisher in Gwangju. He smiled, saying, “I felt the best because it was a long time since I played, and it was also an important game.”
His bat broke as he hit the walk-off. Watching a precious and unique bat go into the trash can, Jong-wook Ko took the bat out of the trash bag again after the interview. For Koh Jong-wook, that bat is also a good bat to get his first hit this season, but it seems that he is left with regret.
Koh Jong-wook, who said, “I think everyone would be greedy for such an at-bat, but the coach let me go,” now goes beyond pinch hitters and challenges to start. However, team victory comes before his personal greed.
KIA recently had a gap in the batting line due to injuries to key players. Kim Do-yeong was out of the first half of the season, and Na Seong-beom can only return from the end of May to June. Ko Jong-wook said, “The team is in a difficult situation, but I hope this victory will continue to win until the injured return. If several players, including myself, take turns hitting one or two hits, I wonder if Na Seong-beom’s void will be filled.”
Finally, Ko Jong-wook, who got married last January and is living a newlywed life, shyly expressed his gratitude to his spouse, saying, “I love you and thank you.” et16@sportsseoul.com