"(Moon) Dong-ju, why are you crying? I've been telling you this all along..." Behind-the-scenes of Ryu Hyun-jin's heartfelt words to his junior player revealed

*This content was translated by AI.

'The living legend of Korean baseball' Ryu Hyun-jin (39) has finally achieved his 120th career win in the KBO League. After the game, he also shared the behind-the-scenes story of a conversation he had with his teammate and junior player, Moon Dong-ju (23).

On the 6th, Hanwha secured a 7-2 victory over KIA in an away game of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season held at Gwangju-KIA Champions Field. With this win, Hanwha broke its two-game losing streak, improving to 13 wins and 19 losses. The team remains in sole 9th place in the league standings.

Ryu Hyun-jin, who started the game, pitched six innings, allowing four hits (including one home run), issuing one walk and one hit-by-pitch, while striking out eight batters and giving up one earned run. He achieved his third win (with two losses) of the season. Ryu Hyun-jin became the 20th player in KBO history to reach 120 career wins. Including his 78 wins in Major League Baseball (MLB), his total career wins now stand at 198. He is just two wins away from reaching 200.

Ryu Hyun-jin began by sharing his thoughts on achieving 120 career wins: "I am even happier because we were able to secure a win despite the team's poor atmosphere, rather than just focusing on the record of 120 wins."

He continued, "As the most senior player, I try to keep the team's morale bright. It is still early in the season. There is still plenty of time to return to a positive atmosphere. I believe the players can bounce back sufficiently if they approach games with a sense of responsibility."

Ryu Hyun-jin left the mound after throwing only 85 pitches through six innings. He said, "I had no intention of pitching many innings, nor did I think about throwing more. Considering the schedule of two appearances next week, I believe the manager showed consideration for me."

On this day, Ryu Hyun-jin pitched scoreless through five innings but surrendered a solo home run to KIA's substitute foreign hitter, Adellin, in the sixth inning. Although Ryu Hyun-jin is known for his poker face, he appeared visibly disappointed during the broadcast when the home run occurred. There was a reason for this. Regarding this, Ryu Hyun-jin said, "While throwing, my hand got caught on my leg, and the changeup came in flatly like a fastball. Of course, the batter did not miss the mistake and connected it for a home run, so he definitely hit it well. I have to acknowledge that part," showing a cool demeanor.

Recently, Hanwha's teammate and national team junior, Moon Dong-ju, was ruled out for the season following a shoulder surgery diagnosis. Having undergone shoulder surgery himself, Ryu Hyun-jin offered advice to Moon Dong-ju: "I told him that surgery itself is something that ends once you fall asleep and wake up, so there is no need to be afraid. He cried a lot. So I kept asking him, 'Why are you crying?' It seems he was genuinely afraid of the surgery itself. In the end, even if it is difficult, one must endure it well. Undergoing surgery is naturally tough. There will be pain during rehabilitation, and you must endure it. If you cannot overcome that pain, it will become increasingly difficult. I think if you can get past that part quickly, rehabilitation will go well," offering sincere advice.

Finally, in response to a question about his message to the junior pitchers, he said, "I always tell them to throw with confidence. They should not be afraid of getting hit. Pitchers are a profession that involves getting hit. So I keep telling them to throw more often inside the strike zone."

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*This content was translated by AI.