SSG Choi Jung (36) had a big outing. Two at-bats, both home runs. A cannon at the plate. Breathes fire.
Choi started at third base in the first game of SSG’s three-game weekend series against Samsung in the 2023 KBO League regular season at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on Wednesday, drawing arches in the first and second innings, respectively바카라.
In the first inning, he hit a leadoff homer off Shin-Soo Choo for a 1-0 lead. It was his third leadoff home run of the season, second on the team, 350th of his career, and third individually.
Choi Ji-hoon followed with a single to left to load the bases, bringing Choi Jung to the plate. On a 1-1 count, Baek Jung-hyun delivered a 137-kilometre-per-hour fastball up the middle.
Choi didn’t miss it. She pulled it hard and sent it over the left field fence for a 115-metre two-run home run. It was a cannonball that went from 1-0 to 3-0. It was his 17th home run of the season. He now leads the league in home runs.
The next home run didn’t take long. In the bottom of the second inning, with the bases loaded and the score 4-0, the second at-bat came. Baek was still on the mound.
With a 2-0 count and an advantage, he hit a three-pitch low slider. It was a big hit, but just outside the foul pole. Four pitches later, a low, 138-kilometre-per-hour fastball came back in.
Choi’s bat swung hard again and the result was a 120 metre solo home run over the left field fence. It was his 18th home run of the season. It was the ninth of the season, the second of the team and the 1155th of his career.
He is also challenging for the record for most consecutive home runs. Doosan’s Lee Seung-yeop is the all-time leader with 28 in his career. Choi and Park Byung-ho (KT) have 24 each, but Choi’s 25th of the day puts him in sole possession of second place.
That’s not all. He also set another record. With his two home runs and eight RBIs, Choi now has 3802 career RBIs. He is the fourth player in KBO history to reach 3,800. He is the youngest player in history (36 years, 4 months, and 4 days) and the first right-handed hitter.
The previous three players to reach the milestone were commentator Yang Jun-hyuk, manager Lee Seung-yeop, and Choi Hyung-woo (KIA).
Yang reached the milestone on 25 June 2009, when he was 40 years old, and Lee reached it on 14 September 2016, when he was 40 years old. Choi Hyung-woo turned 40 on 10 May 2023.
These are undisputed KBO legends. Choi joins them once again. He even became the first player in history to do the same in his 30s.