'Shocked' Declared retirement at age 25 → KIA also said "I knew" and even changed the 156km arrest UP... It's not too late to come back now

*This content was translated by AI.

Hong Won-bin (26), who announced his surprise retirement during the last season, is drawing great attention as his recent status has been revealed. At a famous baseball training center in the U.S., he was seen splashing fastballs with speeds of up to 156 kilometers. He even showed off his sluggish body to the point that it was difficult to be considered a retired player. Will he ever return to active duty again.

Tread Athletic released a video of pitchers pitching in the U.S. and other countries on its official social networking service (SNS) channel on the 10th (Korea time).

But there was an unexpected person among them. It was Hong Won-bin. The Tread Athletic Center, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a baseball training facility famous for attracting players' speed. However, he has already announced his retirement from the KBO League, and I think he is spraying the fastball coolly. Hong Won-bin visited the Tread Athletic Center last winter and strengthened his pitching form, but he reappeared again this year.

Hong Won-bin is a player who has gone through many twists and turns. After graduating from Anmalcho, Gangnam Middle School, and Deoksu High School, he joined the KIA Tigers as the 10th overall pick in the first round in the second rookie draft in 2019. The down payment for joining the team is 130 million won.

Hong Won-bin, who has an overwhelming physique of 195cm and 101kg, drew great attention as a right-handed fireballer as soon as he joined the team. At an exhibition game in March last year, he threw a fastball with a maximum speed of 154 kilometers. However, he rarely had a chance to play in the first team. In the six years since joining the professional league, he has never made the first team stage. There was some regret on the control side. By the 2024 season, he had taken the mound in a total of 31 games in the Futures League with a 2-15 record and a 12.56 ERA. With 44 strikeouts in 71 ⅔ innings, four pitches reached a whopping 107 (92 walks and 15 hit balls).

The first opportunity for him to play in the first division came against the Doosan Bears at Jamsil Stadium on June 3 last year. At that time, he made his dream debut in the first division by marking one hit, one walk, one strikeout, and one run (one earned run) in one inning. On June 10, he allowed one hit, three walks and four runs (four earned) in ⅔ innings. But that was it.

Hong Won-bin, who could no longer take the mound for the first team, decided to take off his uniform in September last year. At that time, the KIA team was deeply concerned about Hong Won-bin's retirement. However, Hong Won-bin's will was so firm, and in the end, the KIA team accepted his request. At the time, an official from KIA said, "Hong Won-bin himself seems to want to study the professional theory related to sports. Maybe I plan to go abroad and study. The club said they wanted to talk more several times, but they decided to respect the player's own and his parents' will.

KIA manager Lee Bum-ho, the head coach, also said about his retirement at the time, "I heard that he expressed his desire to study sports." I understand that the club has been dissuaded several times. However, he seems to have chosen that way because he is so strong in his will. I think you have to support him, he said. "It's very difficult to give up baseball that you've been playing for a long time and try something else again. Nevertheless, I think it is a great courage to go abroad and study. I'm not a baseball player, but a professor who teaches sports or I can go to that field, so I hope you study well and become a good sportsman," he said.

However, Kia's sudden public announcement of pitching fastballs attracted the attention of many baseball fans. However, Kia's team was not completely unaware of Hong's current situation. We were in constant contact. An KIA official also said in a phone call with Star News, "I knew." However, it is not like Hong Won-bin officially intends to return to KIA. Of course, it is impossible to return immediately. Hong Won-bin is currently a voluntary withdrawal status. Therefore, one year after the announcement of the voluntary termination, he must return to KIA, not other clubs. September 30 last year is the date of his voluntary withdrawal.

Recently, the KBO League has been highlighted by the performances of pitchers who forget their ages, including Noh Kyung-eun (42) of SSG Landers, Kim Jin-sung (41) of LG Twins, and Ryu Hyun-jin (39) of Hanwha Eagles. Hong Won-bin has just reached his mid-20s, and if he is young, he can be considered infinitely young. This means that it is not too late as a baseball player even if he returns this year.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.