Ah! Park Byung-ho, the final appearance fans had hoped for... will not happen. He will participate only as a ceremonial batter in the retirement ceremony on the 26th against Samsung.

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Byung-ho (40), the symbol of Kiwoom Heroes and the 'eternal number four batter', will hold his official retirement ceremony on the familiar ground of Gocheok Sky Dome. However, the final game appearance as an active player that fans had anticipated will not take place.

Kiwoom announced on the 19th, through official materials, that "a retirement ceremony for Park Byung-ho will be held ahead of the home game against Samsung Lions at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome at 2 p.m. on the 26th". According to the club, the retirement ceremony title has been set as 'Victory, Hero Park Byung-ho', and it will commemorate his dedication while leading the team during its golden era in a Heroes uniform.

In fact, the most anticipated aspect of this retirement ceremony was whether Park Byung-ho would participate in an actual game. While some expressed strong hopes that he would at least step up to the plate in a retirement game, the press release indicates that Park will appear only as a 'ceremonial batter', not in an official game.

On this day, Park's son will throw the first pitch, and Park will hit the ball thrown by his son as a ceremonial batter, marking the end of his playing career by sharing the final at-bat with his family. As he is currently serving as a senior coach for the reserve team and focusing on nurturing young players, it is understood that he chose to concentrate on connecting with family and fans rather than participating in a competitive game where the outcome matters.

The fact that the opponent in the retirement ceremony is the Samsung Lions is also meaningful. Park, who wore a Samsung uniform through a trade in 2024, demonstrated his continued strength by hitting 35 home runs through the 2025 season, including achieving the historic milestone of 400 career home runs in Daegu. Park has previously expressed deep affection for his final team, stating that he "played baseball happily with Samsung players until the very end".

On this day, Park will be able to bid official farewell amidst the send-off from Kiwoom fans who cheered him on as he broke through countless fences, as well as from former Samsung teammates and fans who shared his final blaze.

To honor Park Byung-ho's final days as a player, Kiwoom has prepared a lavish event. Among fans visiting Gocheok Dome on the day, the first 7,000 in line will receive a retirement commemorative T-shirt, and a signing session will be held with 104 pre-selected fans to share a final farewell.

During the main event, the club will present Ma Ryeon-han (Auditor) and commemorative frames, and farewell messages from teammates and seniors will be displayed on the scoreboard. Additionally, seven types of retirement commemorative products engraved with the jersey number '52' and the phrase 'HEROES LEGEND' will be available for limited sale starting at 9:30 a.m. on this day.

Park Byung-ho, who joined the Heroes through a trade in 2011, is a power hitter who made a mark in KBO League history. He left behind overwhelming records, including two regular-season MVP awards, six home run titles, and six Golden Glove awards. Over 17 seasons, he appeared in 1,767 games, recording 1,554 hits, 418 home runs, 1,244 RBIs, and a batting average of .272, before retiring from the uniform at the end of the 2025 season.

A Kiwoom official stated, "We prepared this event to express our gratitude to Park Byung-ho for his dedication to the team during his Heroes days", and added that they "will beautifully commemorate the final chapter of the legend together with fans".

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*This content was translated by AI.