'A Sea of Tears at Gochok' Park Byung-ho Sobers at Retirement Ceremony: "I Was Happy to Be with You" — Samsung Shows Sincere Respect

*This content was translated by AI.

'The final farewell of the national power hitter filled Gochok Dome with a trembling voice. At the retirement ceremony held on the 26th at Gochok Sky Dome, Park Byung-ho (40, Kiwoom Heroes reserve team senior coach) left the field he had grown fond of, finally showing tears in his eyes. Beyond the Kiwoom Heroes organization, the opposing team and former club Samsung Lions, which Park once played for, went beyond a simple goodbye to send off the senior player's final journey with a heartfelt "special gift."

'On this day, Gochok Dome was filled with the fervor of fans eager to bid farewell to Park Byung-ho before the game even began. The Kiwoom organization distributed retirement commemorative T-shirts to the first 9,000 spectators and held a fan signing session for 104 fans symbolizing his jersey number "52," commemorating the final chapter of a legend.

'Special respect was also shown by Samsung Lions, the opposing team and the club where Park spent his final playing days. The Samsung player group presented Park with a framed away jersey signed by every member of the team. The frame included the message "I was happy to be with you" along with six key photos from Park's time with Samsung.

'Notably, the Samsung player group responded to Park's past remark that he "played baseball happily while with Samsung" by wearing jerseys adorned with special patches inscribed with "GOOD BYE PARK BANG WE WERE THE LIONS" and "We were happy too."

'The highlight of the event was the "final at-bat" with his family. With Park's son serving as the ceremonial first pitch thrower, Park stepped into the batter's box as the ceremonial batter to bid his final farewell to the fans. In his subsequent retirement speech, Park shared his feelings, saying, "Thanks to the fans, I can leave happily," as his emotions rose.

'The Kiwoom organization presented Park with a plaque of gratitude, a commemorative bat, and a framed item to honor his dedication. The scoreboard displayed scenes of Park's prime home runs and farewell messages from his teammates, adding to the emotional atmosphere. Fellow players who played with Park during his Heroes days, including Yeom Kyung-yeop (now LG manager), Yu Han-jun, Kim Min-seong, Kang Jung-ho, Lee Jung-hoo, Kim Ha-seong, Song Seong-mun, and Kim Hye-seong, left congratulatory messages.

'After retiring from active play at the end of last season, Park began his second life as a coach this year, taking on the role of senior coach for the Kiwoom Heroes reserve team. The power hitter who made a mark in KBO League history was named in the starting lineup as the fourth hitter and first baseman on this day, but was substituted immediately after the game began, officially ending his beloved playing career amidst the fans' enthusiastic applause.

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*This content was translated by AI.