adminAnother page has been written in the mythology of the fostered player. Chae Eun-sung (33, Hankwa) became the first player from a developmental program to win the KBO All-Star Game MVP.
Chae went 2-for-3 with a walk-off home run in the fourth inning and five RBIs in the 2023 KBO All-Star Game at Sajik Stadium in Busan on March 15. She became the first player to hit a grand slam in an All-Star Game in 41 years, since Lotte’s Kim Yong-hee in 1982, to lead Team Nanum to an 8-4 victory.
Chae Eun-sung, who tied the record for most RBI in an All-Star Game with a five-hit game that included a first-inning double, made a diving catch of Kim Min-seok’s line drive to right field in the seventh inning. She won the MVP award by a landslide, receiving 56 of the 61 votes cast by reporters.
It was his second straight All-Star night after winning the home run race (5) the day before (14). It’s also the first time a home run race winner has won All-Star MVP honors. “It’s hard enough to be an All-Star,” he said, “but I think it’s meaningful to receive an award that comes once a year or once in a lifetime.
As Chae Eun-sung said, the All-Star Game is not a stage where just anyone can appear. It’s a star-studded event that requires both performance and popularity to be invited. It’s even harder to become an MVP among such colorful stars. There are five players who have been named MVP of the All-Star Game twice – Kim Yong-hee, Park Jung-tae, Jung Soo-geun, Lee Dae-ho, and Hong Seong-heon – but only 36 players have been honored in 42 years.
Chae Eun-sung is a little more special. She became the first player to win the MVP of an All-Star Game who was not drafted in the rookie draft, but was a “trainee” player. It’s hard not to feel emotional when a player who wasn’t even drafted becomes a “star among stars.
After graduating from Hyochon High School in Suncheon, Chae joined LG as a developmental player in 2009, but was only able to make it to the second team before being called up for active duty in June 2010 during the season. His 6-foot-2 height made him stand out and he was selected for the national team, where he served for one year and 10 months.
The word “drill team” conjures up images of fancy bayoneting, but Chae Eun-sung showed off her bat like a gun while watching the Navy’s Jinhae Base Command drill team perform after the fifth inning of the All-Star Game.
Chae said, “I can turn anything that’s elongated. It’s like riding a bicycle. Once you learn it, you don’t forget it. I can do it with my eyes closed,” she laughed, then added, “Watching the soldiers perform reminded me of the old days. At the time, I never imagined a day like today…I had many thoughts. I had mixed feelings. I am grateful for the present.”메이저사이트
Returning to LG after completing her military service at Cheong Wa Dae, Chae Eun-sung distinguished herself in the second team Futures League in 2013 and made her first team debut in May 2014. Although her goal was to get at least one at-bat in the first team, she gradually improved and has been LG’s center fielder since 2016. Last November, he hit the free agent jackpot by signing a six-year, up to 6 billion won contract with Hanwha. In 74 games this year, he batted .291 (84-for-289) with 11 home runs, 47 RBIs, and an OPS of .820, making him a “free agent paragon.