(2nd LD) baseball-record
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| ▲ Choi Hyoung-woo of the Kia Tigers hits a two-run home run against the Hanwha Eagles during the top of the fourth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul, on June 20, 2023. The homer gave Choi 1,500 career RBIs, most in KBO history. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ The scoreboard at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul, displays words marking Kia Tigers slugger Choi Hyoung-woo's 1,500th career RBI, making him the all-time leader in the category in Korea Baseball Organization history. Choi set the record with a two-run home run against the home team Hanwha Eagles. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Choi Hyoung-woo of the Kia Tigers high-fives his teammates after becoming the all-time RBI leader in Korea Baseball Organization history with a two-run home run against the Hanwha Eagles at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul, on June 20, 2023. (Yonhap) |
(2nd LD) baseball-record
(2nd LD) Veteran slugger Choi Hyoung-woo becomes KBO's career RBI leader
(ATTN: ADDS final score, comments throughout)
By Yoo Jee-ho
DAEJEON, June 20 (Yonhap) -- Kia Tigers slugger Choi Hyoung-woo became the all-time RBI king in South Korean baseball Tuesday.
Choi knocked in his 1,499th and 1,500th runs against the Hanwha Eagles with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning of a Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) regular season game at Hanwha Life Eagles Park in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul. With those RBIs, Choi broke a tie with former Samsung Lions star and current Doosan Bears manager Lee Seung-yuop in the career RBI department.
Choi had pulled into a tie with Lee, his Lions teammate from 2012 to 2016, in Saturday's game against the NC Dinos. After failing to capitalize on some chances Sunday, Choi took care of business Tuesday.
"I want to pat myself on the back today," Choi said afterward. "I wanted to break the record as quickly as possible so that it could make life easy for everyone. I will keep looking to drive in runs whenever I can."
Choi, 39, made his KBO debut in 2002 with the Lions but was released by the team after the 2005 season. He rejoined the Lions for the 2008 season after completing his mandatory military service. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2008 and evolved into one of the KBO's most productive sluggers.
He has had seven 100-RBI seasons, including five in a row from 2014 to 2018.
Choi is enjoying a bounceback campaign in 2023 after subpar performances in 2021 and 2022. He entered Tuesday's game batting .308/.407/.493 with eight homers and 37 RBIs in 58 games. He batted .264/.366/.421 last year and .233/.366/.421 a year before that.
Over his career, Choi has won two batting titles and led the league in RBIs twice, in 2011 and 2016.
Batting cleanup, Choi led off the top of the second inning with a double to center field off starter Han Seung-ju.
Choi came up for the second time with a man on and one out in the top of the fourth, with the Tigers trailing 1-0. Choi stepped up and drove a first-pitch fastball from Han over the center field wall for the record-setting blast.
The Eagles asked for a video review, but the original home run call was confirmed.
Tigers manager Kim Jong-kook greeted Choi with a bouquet of flowers in the dugout, and his teammates high-fived Choi to congratulate him on the milestone.
The Tigers won the rain-interrupted game 6-4. Choi finished with two hits in three at-bats and also scored twice and drew a walk.
Choi said he was more nervous about the inclement weather conditions than his at-bats. Daejeon received some heavy downpours starting around the bottom of the fourth inning. For a game to enter the official records in case of rain, teams had to complete at least five innings.
"I was worried that the game would be called off before we got to the fifth," Choi said with a smile. "I'd already set the record and acknowledged the fans. I didn't want it all to go for naught."
The game was delayed for about half an hour after the fifth inning, and the teams ended up playing the full nine innings after the rain let up.
Choi looked back on the winding road he'd taken to become the RBI king and said he never set an ambitious goal for himself.
"I know we tell people to dream big dreams, but back then, I was just trying to survive," Choi said. "As I got closer to this record, I started feeling prouder of myself for the career I've had."
Choi did not get the record-setting ball as a memento, though. The ball bounced back into the field after clearing the fence, but Eagles center fielder Moon Hyun-bin tossed it back to the stands.
The Eagles managed to track down the fan who caught the ball and offered some souvenirs in exchange. The fan, however, refused to give it to Choi.
"I am not really crazy about souvenir balls," Choi said. "It doesn't bother me that I didn't get the ball back."
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