'One Month of Injury → One Month of Slump' Decisive Moment: Cannon 'Bang,' 36-Year-Old Veteran Says, "It Was Hard, But I Hope This Becomes a Turning Point for a Comeback"

*This content was translated by AI.

He was sidelined by injury at the start of the season and continued to struggle even after returning. That made this home run all the more meaningful. Kwon Hee-dong's (36, NC Dinos) single swing saved the team.

On the 27th, at Changwon NC Park, Kwon Hee-dong hit a game-winning two-run home run in the bottom of the 8th inning during the home game against the Hanwha Eagles in the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League, propelling his team to a 6-4 victory.

Kwon Hee-dong suffered a tear in his left internal oblique muscle early in the season and did not return to the field until the 8th. In 14 games, he struggled with a batting average of 0.161 and hit no home runs at all.

Starting the day on the bench, Kwon Hee-dong was brought in as a defensive replacement for Lee Woo-seong in the bottom of the 5th inning. After the team took the lead, he struck out in his first at-bat in the 6th inning, but he delivered in the bottom of the 8th when both teams were tied 4-4.

Hanwha called upon Jung Woo-ju, who had returned to the winning lineup. With one out and a runner on first base, Kwon Hee-dong stepped into the batter's box. Despite falling behind 0-2 in the count, he cleanly connected with a 149 km/h fastball located low in the zone with a compact swing, sending it over the left-field wall.

It was his first home run in 15 games and his first RBI in six games, securing the win for his team. After the game, NC Dinos manager Lee Ho-jun immediately praised Kwon Hee-dong. "I want to commend our veteran players first. They handled a difficult game well until the end," he said, adding, "Especially Kwon Hee-dong's home run in the bottom of the 8th was the decisive moment of the game."

Although he thoroughly analyzed and prepared for the opposing pitcher, he was caught off guard. Kwon Hee-dong said, "It's a pitch that's hard to hit even when you're aiming for it. Jung Woo-ju has been throwing a lot of balls recently, so I tried to be cautious with the first and second pitches." However, his focus shone through afterward. "When I had two strikes, I told myself to try to hit within a smaller zone, and that led to a good result," he explained.

Kwon Hee-dong added, "The faster the pitch, the more rebound power you get if you make solid contact, so I kept that in mind. I went in with the mindset that if I could make short contact and get a hit or reach base, it would lead to runs later. I think I hit it too perfectly, which is why it went far."

It was the first home run he had eagerly awaited. Kwon Hee-dong said, "I got injured right after the opening game and had to go down, spending a lot of time there. I think I recovered so healthily because the rehabilitation team took great care of me."

While he was away, watching his younger teammates perform, he felt more pride than competition. "It was really nice to see them play well. The team gets stronger when the younger players do well, so I genuinely cheered for them. When I returned, I saw them struggling, so I wanted to help them as soon as possible," he said. "My condition didn't improve as quickly as I hoped, so I haven't been able to contribute much. I hope today's game becomes a turning point that helps the team climb the standings."

Despite suffering severe slumps this season, he always feels a strong desire to solve problems at the plate. Kwon Hee-dong said, "In any game, I want to be the one to solve the situation. If I get a chance, I want to bring runners in no matter what so that the batters behind me can hit more easily, but it hasn't gone as well as I hoped, so it's been tough. Park Min-woo and Park Geon-woo are doing so well up front, so I think if I can get my condition up quickly, I might be able to show an even better performance."

Manager Lee Ho-jun expressed gratitude toward the veterans who worked hard to lift the team's morale during the losing streak. Kwon Hee-dong is no different. He said, "Players like Min-woo and Geon-woo are leading the way up front, and I'm trying to pull in some struggling players for a while to share some good words. The season is long, so I tell them not to worry too much about slumps. If they have any difficulties, they can come to me anytime to talk."

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*This content was translated by AI.