LG’s Park Hae-min (33), a four-time stolen base champion, has reached 20 stolen bases for the 10th consecutive year. He became the second player in KBO history to accomplish this feat.

Park started in center field at No. 9 in the home game against SSG at Jamsil Stadium on April 16. He went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and a stolen base.먹튀검증

After a grounder to second base in his first at-bat in the third inning, Park Hae-min singled to left field two batters later in the fifth inning. She then attempted to steal second base from Hong Chang-ki and succeeded with a head-first slide. It was his 20th stolen base of the season. She then scored on a single by Hong Chang-ki.

Park has stolen 20 bases in 10 consecutive seasons. This is the second all-time record after Jung Geun-woo’s (retired) 11 consecutive 20-steal seasons (2006-2016).

Park made his KBO debut in 2013 and stole his first base on May 4, 2014, against the Daegu NC. He finished the 2014 season fifth in stolen bases with 36. In 2015, he won his first career stolen base title with 60 stolen bases. He led the league in stolen bases for four consecutive seasons until the 2018 season.

Until last year, he led the league in stolen bases every season, cementing his reputation as a master stealer. With 362 career steals, he ranks 10th all-time and second among active players.

“I knew about the record,” Park said after the game, “but I thought I could get one even if it wasn’t today, so I didn’t think I had to do it today.”

On the same day, LG hosted the team’s Family Day event, inviting the team’s families to attend. “My parents, wife, and child came with me,” Park said.

Stolen bases are Park’s signature strength. His feet never slump. “I always try to make the best play I can on the field, and if I can’t steal anyway, I think I might lose my competitiveness in some way in my baseball life, so I think I was able to steal 20 bases for 10 years in a row because I ran hard,” Park said.

When asked how it feels to look back on 10 years, Park said, “I didn’t play with the goal of getting 20 stolen bases for 10 years in a row, but I think I’m very proud that I was able to get 20 stolen bases for 10 years in a row by accumulating them gradually.”

He is one season shy of Jung Geun-woo’s record. “I want to break it,” Park said, “but stealing bases is something you can’t just think about as an individual, you have to think about the team as well, so if I think about it well and utilize my strengths, I think I can tie it for 11 years in a row and break that record as well.

“If I get greedy about stealing bases, I might look selfish to the team, so I think if I play the baseball I can play, (the record) will follow,” he added.

Under Yoon Kyung-yup, LG has been emphasizing “running baseball” and actively asking players to steal bases. This is where Park Hae-min can play to his strengths. “The manager has only two years left in his term, but if he does it for two years, it will be a new record,” Park said, laughing. “I’m thinking that if I don’t get injured, I’ll be able to do it (the record for 12 consecutive years).”

His experience and accumulated stealing know-how is no match for the speed and competition of younger players in their 20s. “There are other records that I’d love to have,” Park said. There is only one person who has stolen five bases, Kim Il-kwon, so I want to do that too. First, I want to do well this season and win the championship, and if baseball changes in that direction (such as expanding the bases and limiting the number of outs), I would like to challenge for the stolen base title again next year.”