Choi Hyung-woo started as the designated hitter in the away game against the Hanwha Eagles held at Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Eagles Park on the 20th and hit a come-from-behind two-run homer in the fourth inning when the score was 0-1.안전놀이터

With this home run, Hyung-Woo Choi scored 1,500 RBIs in his professional career, pushing out Doosan Bears coach Seung-Yeop Lee, the “national hitter,” and rising to the top spot with the most RBIs in his career. He scored his 1498th career RBI against Gwangju NC Dinos on the 17th, tying him with the all-time record held by manager Lee. After that, he added 2 RBIs again in 2 games and became the new owner of the record.

Choi Hyung-woo had a premonition of writing a new record from his first at-bat. He came up as the lead batter in the second inning and hit a double that hit the left-middle fence with a one-bound. After warming up, Choi Hyung-woo kicked up Hanwha starter Han Seung-joo’s first fastball in the second at-bat in the fourth inning. The ball went over the wall in the middle and became a home run that marked a new milestone in Hyung-woo Choi’s baseball life. Hanwha requested a video review, but the centrifuge was not overturned. KIA coach Kim Jong-guk handed a bouquet of flowers to Choi Hyeong-woo, who returned to the dugout, and his colleagues congratulated him with a high-five baptism.

On the 20th, Daejeon Hanwha Life Insurance Eagles Park electronic signboard celebrating KIA Hyung-Woo Choi’s achievement of 1,500 RBIs for the first time in the KBO League. yunhap news

For Choi Hyung-woo, who had a rough start in his professional life, the most RBIs in his career in the KBO League is a very meaningful record. He joined the Samsung Lions in 2002 after being nominated in the 2nd 6th round (48th overall) as a rookie. However, he received a notice of release after digesting 7 at-bats in 6 games for the 1st team for 4 years. Fortunately, he was able to continue his career as the police baseball team was founded that year, and he turned to an outfielder and began to focus on batting. At the end of the 2007 Futures (Second Division) Northern League batting crown, he reached the 7th crown. Choi Hyeong-woo put on the Samsung uniform again right after he was discharged and made a second start.

On April 1, 2008, 6 years after his first signing, Choi Hyung-woo finally reported his first RBI in his debut match against the LG Twins in Jamsil. After that, he quickly established himself as Samsung’s main outfielder. That year, he racked up 71 runs and lifted the KBO League’s oldest Rookie of the Year trophy at the age of 25. In 2011, he reached the 100 RBI mark (118 RBI) for the first time and also won the RBI title.

After that, it got stronger and stronger. Since 2014, he has achieved 30 home runs and -100 RBI for three consecutive years. In particular, in 2016, he became the second RBI leader with 144 RBIs. The 144 RBIs was the second-highest RBI record in a single season, following Byeong-ho Park (146 RBIs, KT Wiz) in 2015.

KIA Choi Hyeong-woo (center) is congratulated by his teammates at home after stepping on the 1500th RBI mark for the first time in history with a come-from-behind two-run home run in the 4th inning against Daejeon Hanwha against Daejeon on the 20th. yunhap news

As a result, Choi Hyeong-woo transferred to his hometown team KIA in 2017 for a total of 10 billion won over 4 years. He became the main character who officially opened the ’10 billion won era’ in the history of free agents (FA) in the KBO League. He scored 120 runs in 2017, the first season of his transfer, and again took the lead in KIA’s combined victory. He recorded triple-digit RBIs for five consecutive years (2014-2018), making him also hold the record for the most runs in this category along with Lee Dae-ho (former Lotte Giants) and Park Byung-ho.

Choi Hyung-woo, who accumulated RBIs step by step, was recorded as the first hitter to reach 1,500 RBIs in KBO League history on June 20 of this year, when he turned 40. From now on, every RBI hit by Hyung-Woo Choi is a new history in the KBO League. Although not as fast as in his prime, Choi Hyeong-woo still leaves a heavy footprint by showing off his ‘fixer’ instinct.