"Kim Hyunsoo! Kim Hyunsoo!" Lee, who was burdened by cheers, not boos, will once again go down in KBO history [the scene of Jamsil]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Kim Hyunsoo! Kim Hyunsoo!"

Kim Hyun-soo (38), who shook off the burden after receiving enthusiastic cheers from LG Twins fans, led KT Wiz to victory.

KT beat LG 11-7 in the opening game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 28th.

The game became a hot topic as it was the first game of the defending champion and the first visit to Jamsil by Kim Hyun-soo, a transfer player. With 23,750 won spectators visiting Jamsil, attention was paid to how LG fans would greet Kim Hyun-soo.

Kim Hyun-soo returned to Korea after a two-year U.S. Major League challenge and wore an LG uniform. Since then, he has been praised for changing the culture of the LG team by 180 degrees with his leadership by leading by example, and his wish for the first Korean Series in 29 years has also been achieved in 2023.

Last year, the last year of the contract, he led LG to another unified championship and won the MVP of the Korean Series. After that, he signed a three-year, full 5 billion won guarantee contract and moved to KT, and this was the first official game. As usual with the transfer process, Kim Hyun-soo also showed signs of nervousness due to some noise.

Kim Hyun-soo, who met before the game, said, "I think it's a relief if I don't get complacent." I just try to say hello hard and focus on the game so I don't get caught in the pitch clock," he said with an awkward smile.

It was the first away locker room at Jamsil Baseball Stadium for Kim Hyun-soo since his debut with the Doosan Bears in 2006. For the past 20 years, Kim has played only for teams that use Jamsil Baseball Stadium as their home stadium in Korea. Kim Hyun-soo said, "I played as an away team during LG and Doosan, but it was almost like a home stadium at that time. It's the first time I've come to Jamsil by bus after using an away accommodation like this," he said. "I think there's a difference according to age from when I first met Doosan (the former team). If I was a little ahead of my emotions at that time, I try to focus on the game a little more calmly now," he said with strength.

Nevertheless, the tremors were inevitable. Kim Hyun-soo said, "But I've already got a little feeling. I don't think I can do it today. "I want to win," he said with a smile, "I just want my team to win regardless of whether I do well or not. The excitement and nervousness are the same, but I think this is also the feeling that I still love baseball so much. I will do my best as much as I love baseball," he said.

After the start of the game, Kim Hyun-soo's worries proved to be nothing but unfounded. Applause poured in when Kim Hyun-soo, who took off his hat and greeted fans at the stadium in the top of the first inning. LG's starting pitcher Yoni Chirinos, who has become an enemy now, bowed to Kim Hyun-soo and honored the former leader.

Was it because I was really nervous. Kim rarely produced a hit in the early part of the game. The ball hit in the first at-bat in the top of the first inning was directed to center fielder Park Hae-min's glove. The outside ball touched in the second inning rolled in front of shortstop Oh Ji-hwan. Even the hit in the fifth inning became the only KT batter who started with left fielder Moon Sung-joo's glove to fail to record a hit.

It wasn't a hitting machine to step back from there. In the end, Kim Hyun-soo hit Baek Seung-hyun's slider with one out and second base in the top of the seventh inning to score a timely RBI single to the right. Since then, two more points have been added, and LG's strong chase, which scored four points from the seventh inning, has been able to be shaken.

As his steady career proves, Kim Hyun-soo remains in KBO history with just one hit. With Kim Hyun-soo's hit, KT succeeded in hitting all the starters for the first time in the league in the 2026 season and the 1,154th time in the KBO.

It is also the sixth true record since OB Bears at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on April 4, 1987, Samsung Lions at Daegu Civic Baseball Stadium on April 10, 1993, Hanwha Eagles at Gwangju Mudeung Baseball Stadium on April 2, 2015, Samsung at Daegu Civic Baseball Stadium on March 28, 2015, and LG at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on March 23, 2024.

In addition, Kim Hyun-soo set a tie for the most hits in the KBO opener, with 20 hits in the opening game alone with this hit. The previous record was four, Kim Kwang-rim (Ssangbangwool Raiders), Kim Tae-kyun (Hanwha), Jung Geun-woo (LG), and Kang Min-ho (Samsung).

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*This content was translated by AI.