(LEAD) Veteran slugger Choi Hyoung-woo becomes KBO's career RBI leader

▲ 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)

▲ 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)

▲ 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)

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(LEAD) Veteran slugger Choi Hyoung-woo becomes KBO's career RBI leader

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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.

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.

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