“The Big Catcher” Park Dong-won (33-LG Twins) hit his first career Korean Series home run. It was an exhilarating two-run shot that saved LG from a corner .It was also a shot toward his dream of becoming a championship catcher .Trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 2 of the Korean Baseball Organization’s World Series at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul, South Korea, Park Dong-won took a 124-kilometer-per-hour changeup from KT Wiz bullpen hack Park Young-hyun and drove a two-run arch over the wall in left-center field. Park, who had pitched six scoreless innings in five games in this year’s postseason, was overcome by Park’s desperate swing .Park’s pitch traveled 122 meters at 166 kilometers per hour.
From the moment the bat and ball crackled to the moment Park rounded the bases and crossed home plate, LG fans erupted in a “yellow wave” of cheers. Park’s game-winning blast gave LG a 5-4 victory .After the game, Park was named the Daily MVP of Game 2 of the Korean Series and received $1 million in prize money. I wanted to survive, so I thought about a surprise bunt, but I did a good job of hitting it hard.” He laughed and recalled the thrilling moment, saying, “Park Young-hyun’s pitch was good, so I paid attention to the timing so that the bat wouldn’t be pushed, and the swing came out well.”
After the home run, Park returned to the dugout and hugged all the LG players, including manager Yoon Kyung-yup.
“It was exhilarating. “I was so happy, I felt like I was going to cry. My teammates hit me so hard, I think my tears might have pooled a little from the pain,” he joked, recalling the moment of joy. On the day, Park worked with eight LG pitchers in a battery rotation to keep the game scoreless. “Our bullpen pitched better than in the regular season,” he said. In the regular season, we have ‘opposite pitches,’ but today we had good pitches,” he said. “It won’t be easy because they keep seeing new pitchers. Our pitchers have different types of pitches, so I felt comfortable with them,” he said, reflecting on his interactions with the pitchers. Park Dong-won, who started his professional career with the Seoul Heroes (now Kiwoom) in 2009, played in the Korean Series with the Heroes in 2014 and 2019, but tasted the bitterness of defeat.
After being traded to the KIA Tigers in 2022, Park signed a free agent contract with LG after the season for four years and up to 6.5 billion won (2 billion won in signing bonus and 4.5 billion won in total salary).”The LG batting lineup is really breathtaking, except for me. As a catcher, I’m very lucky not to face them,” he said. “If I have the chance, I’d like to tell our pitchers, ‘How nice it is not to face LG hitters.’ “However, Park Dong-won is also an “LG big gun” that opponents fear .Park hit .249 with 20 home runs and 75 RBIs in the regular season this year. This is the first time in 13 years that an LG catcher has hit more than 20 home runs in a season since Jo In-sung (28) in 2010.Park also had a thrilling Korean Series in an LG uniform.
After falling 2-3 in Game 1 and conceding the first four runs of Game 2, LG turned the game around with a single shot from Park. LG, which dreams of winning the Korean Series for the first time in 29 years, turned the series around thanks to Park Dong-won, the “winning catcher “.The LG fans, who turned Jamsil Baseball Stadium into a wave of yellow, also rejoiced .Park Dong-won said, “I saw many yellow towels from LG. I was encouraged by the thought 토토 that LG was fighting with 20,000 fans,” he said, adding, “I am very grateful to the fans.”