SSG won 3-2 in the final match of the season against Kiwoom Heroes of the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 13th. SSG won three games in a row.
Oh Won-seok, who started the game, did not win, but he set the stage for victory with one run in six innings. After the game, head coach Kim Won-hyung said, “(Oh) Won-seok must have been burdensome, but he did a big job in an important game. “He overcame the crisis well in the first inning and pitched well, which served as a springboard for his victory.”
He gave up the first run in the top of the first inning, but Guillermo Heredia’s timely hit in the bottom of the first inning and Choi Joo-hwan’s solo home run in the bottom of the second inning led 2-1 until the eighth inning. Then, in the top of the ninth inning, closer Seo Jin-yong got a solo home run from Kim Hwi-jip, tying 2-2. Oh Won-seok’s victory also went up in smoke. SSG eventually caught Kiwoom in the game.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, leadoff hitter Park Sung-han walked. Oh Tae-gon’s sending bunt made it one out and second base, and Choi Joo-hwan went out with an automatic deliberation of four pitches. With one out and runners on first and second bases, Kim Sung-hyun stepped down with a foul fly to right field. At this time, second baseman Park Sung-han went to third base, and Ha Jae-hoon went out with a hit ball, filling the leak. Choo Shin-soo sent a hit to the side of the first baseman in a bases-loaded opportunity.
The game seemed to be over with extra time. At this time, Kiwoom first baseman Lim Ji-yeol made a mistake. Lim Ji-yeol caught Choo Shin-soo’s ball well. The hit was not easy to catch between first and second base. However, Lim Ji-yeol dropped the ball while trying to throw to first base. Choo was sprinting to first base.
In the end, Choo Shin-soo lived at first base, and in the meantime, the game ended when third baseman Park Sung-han passed home. Head coach Kim Won-hyung said, “I was able to win because Shin-soo ran at full strength in a finishing situation. The players’ concentration and willingness to win stand out, he said.
Was the good energy of a special guest delivered on this day. Before the match, former UFC fighter Ma Dong-hyun visited Landers Field. Ma Dong-hyun had a special relationship with Choo Shin-soo, and he came out as the first pitch player on the day.
In May this year, Choo Shin-soo promised to sponsor a five-year rehabilitation fee for the former UFC fighter Ma Dong-hyun, who was suffering from paraplegia.
After promising to sponsor rehabilitation treatment expenses, Choo Shin-soo directly gave Ma Dong-hyun continuous encouragement. In addition to medical expenses, it also provided additional daily necessities. 안전놀이터
Shortly after the injury, Ma Dong-hyun was diagnosed with a less than 1% chance of living a normal daily life. However, he received constant rehabilitation treatment with the support of Choo Shin-soo. Currently, it has improved to the extent that daily life is possible.
According to a team official, Ma Dong-hyun moved from Busan to Incheon to deliver the positive energy he received through Choo Shin-soo to the SSG team and Choo Shin-soo, who are in the midst of a ranking fight.
Choo Shin-soo was also in charge of first pitch guidance and special defense. Choo Shin-soo said, “Ma Dong-hyun is the player who spends the most energy in all sports. “I think it is meaningful to see such a player overcome again without being frustrated or giving up even though he has suffered a major injury,” he said.
Choo Shin-soo added, “There will be a lot of people in the world who are struggling, regardless of the amount, but I think it is very meaningful that there are people who come out confidently and overcome the ordeal.”
Ma Dong-hyun said, “Choo Shin-soo is getting better with his personal help, and I hope it will help someone to deliver how I feel better through the first pitch today.”