Lee Jung-hoo, who watched Park Byung-ho's retirement ceremony in the U.S., broke down in tears: "Thank you for your hard work, best senior → GOAT 52"

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Jung-hoo (28, San Francisco Giants), a "junior" active in Major League Baseball (MLB) in the U.S., added his own hot tears to show respect as he joined the final journey of Park Byung-ho (40, Kiwoom Heroes reserve team coach), a slugger who represents Korean baseball.

Shortly after Park Byung-ho's retirement ceremony held at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome on the 26th, Lee Jung-hoo shared his reflections on watching his senior's final moments from a distant country via his social networking service (SNS). Along with a photo of Park Byung-ho shedding tears on the live broadcast screen, Lee Jung-hoo left a message saying, "Thank you for your hard work. Best senior," revealing his choked emotions.

Lee Jung-hoo then mentioned Park Byung-ho's iconic jersey number, praising the senior's legacy in Korean baseball with the phrase "GOAT (Greatest Of All Time·All-time greatest) 52." As Lee Jung-hoo, who was known as the "partner of the soul" during his time with Kiwoom Heroes and received special affection from Park Byung-ho, the senior's retirement appeared to carry even deeper meaning.

Park Byung-ho, in turn, nodded in response to a StarNews inquiry during the official retirement press conference held ahead of the ceremony on the day, asking whether he had been contacted by juniors playing in MLB, including Lee Jung-hoo. He smiled and said, "They contacted me to congratulate me. Although they are far away, we keep in touch frequently, so they told me to congratulate them."

At the Gocheok Dome venue that day, sincere respect from both Kiwoom and Samsung Lions teams shone through. Kiwoom prepared honors befitting a legend, including a ceremonial first pitch and batting event, while the Samsung players team wore uniforms signed by all members and attached a patch reading "We were happy too," showing their farewell courtesy during the game.

In his retirement speech, Park Byung-ho said, "I was happy thanks to the fans," and showed a choked-up demeanor. Lee Jung-hoo, who watched this scene on screen, also posted a photo of himself weeping, displaying the strong bond between senior and junior players.

Meanwhile, Park Byung-ho, who built a golden tower of 400 career home runs in the KBO League, officially concluded his playing career with today's retirement ceremony and is set to begin his full-fledged coaching journey as a senior coach for the Kiwoom Heroes reserve team.

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*This content was translated by AI.