After Hugging Retired Junior Kim Tae-hoon, He Fights Back

After hugging retired junior Kim Tae-hoon, he fights back… Gwang-Hyeon Kim “I was desperate for victory”

SSG won the last game of the regular season and advanced directly to the semi-PO.

Before the game started, Kim Gwang-hyun (35, SSG Landers) gave a deep hug to his junior Kim Tae-hoon (33), who threw out the first pitch at the retirement ceremony.

According to Gwang-Hyun Kim's memory, 'This was the second time I hugged someone on the mound and then threw the ball on the day of my starting mound.'

Kim Tae-hoon, who held his retirement ceremony on the 17th, the last day of the 2023 Korean Professional Baseball KBO League regular season, hoped, "I hope my retirement ceremony will be held after the team wins." 안전놀이터

The wish of his close friend Kim Tae-hoon became a reality thanks to Kim Gwang-hyun's fight.

Gwang-Hyun Kim started the home game against the Doosan Bears held at SSG Landers Field in Incheon on the 17th and pitched 6 innings, allowing 3 hits, no runs, and 4 strikeouts.

SSG won 5-0 thanks to Kim Gwang-hyun's good pitching, and secured a direct ticket to the semi-playoffs on their own.

After the game, Kim Gwang-hyun once again hugged his junior Kim Tae-hoon, who left the mound first.

Gwang-Hyun Kim said, "Tae-Hoon is the first left-handed pitcher junior I had in the first team.

We played together for a long time and made a lot of memories.

He is a player with many strengths, but it is unfortunate that he retired so soon.

I hope his second life will be filled with good things.

“I hope,” he said.

Homegrown ace Kim Gwang-hyeon's fightback was a great help to the SSG coaching staff and teammates who had to play in the postseason.

Coach Kim Won-hyung commented, “We won today thanks to Gwang-hyun’s good pitching.”

Gwang-Hyun Kim said with a smile, “As we competed fiercely for the rankings until the end of the season, all of our players desperately wanted to win,” and added, “It feels great to be ranked 3rd with today’s victory.”

SSG won the regular season and Korean Series combined championship last year.

Although they missed out on first place in the regular season this year, they had a chance to challenge for the Korean Series championship.

Gwang-Hyun Kim said, "The team felt pressure after winning the combined championship last season.

Because all the players did not give up until the end of this season, we were able to advance directly to the semi-playoffs.

Although the regular season is over, there is still more postseason left.

“I will prepare diligently for the remaining period of time so that I can rise to higher heights,” he said.

SSG mobilized a total of 1,068,211 spectators for 72 home games this year, recording the second largest attendance in franchise history following 2012 (1,069,929 spectators) during the SK Wyverns era.

On this day, 21,077 spectators visited the stadium, and Kim Gwang-hyun gained strength from the fans' support.

Gwang-Hyun Kim said, “I felt that many fans visited the baseball stadium for every game this year,” and pledged, “Thanks to the support of the fans, I was able to play baseball fiercely until the end.

I will do my best to repay the support in the post season.”