There is a 'Messi' in the KBO League: A 'legendary stature' that transcends sport, league, and nationality [Shin Hwa-seop's Sports Inside]

*This content was translated by AI.

Is there a 'Messi' in the KBO League?

You might wonder why this sudden comparison, given that the sport, league, and nationality are all different.

However, there is a 'living legend' in Korean professional baseball who possesses the same stature as Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami), the superstar of world football. That person is Samsung Lions' Choi Hyung-woo (43).

Messi, who represented the Argentina national team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, scored a hat trick against Algeria in the Group J opener on the 17th (Korean time) in Kansas City, U.S., leading his team to a 3-0 victory.

The following day, the 18th, Choi Hyung-woo showcased his veteran experience in the KBO League. In the game against Kiwoom Heroes held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, he started as the second batter, not in the heart of the lineup. This was the first time in 17 years since July 21, 2009, in a game against Mokdong Heroes. It was seen as a strategic move by Samsung manager Park Jin-man (50) to give Choi, who had struggled with a .139 batting average (5 hits in 36 at-bats) in 13 games through the previous day in June, a chance to turn the tide.

The result gave the impression of a 'second-batter specialist.' Choi hit consecutive doubles against starting pitcher An Woo-jin in the first and third innings. With the score 1-3 in the bottom of the seventh, two outs, and runners on second and third, he hit a two-run double off reliever Park Jeong-hoon to tie the game. Then, in the bottom of the ninth with one out and bases loaded, he hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to center field against Park Jin-hyeong, leading his team to a 4-3 victory.

Just as Messi scored 'three goals,' Choi accumulated 'three hits and three RBIs.' Messi set the record for the oldest hat trick in World Cup history (38 years, 11 months, 22 days). Choi, who has already broken the record for the oldest batter appearance in KBO League history, now holds the new record for the oldest walk-off RBI (42 years, 6 months, 2 days).

Both Messi and Choi have already built shining achievements in their respective fields and continue to display top-tier skills even as they approach the twilight of their playing careers. Above all, they are praised for their character and humility, serving as role models for younger players through rigorous self-management and diligence.

According to foreign media, Messi is still told by coaches and teammates that he is "the player who always arrives first at the training ground and takes the most serious approach." Choi's passion for baseball has not waned either, to the point where teammate Kang Min-ho (41) remarked that during spring camp, Choi was already fully prepared for training from early morning.

In an interview with broadcasters after the game on the 18th, Choi Hyung-woo joked, "I think I'm probably the second batter with the highest weight in history. As the game progressed, my turn at the plate came too often." Regarding his team, currently in third place chasing the leader, he expressed confidence, saying, "It may sound arrogant, but we are only looking upward, not downward."

A side note. Messi and Choi are also connected by the number '6.' This marks Messi's sixth consecutive World Cup appearance, while Choi has won the Korean Series six times in his career (Samsung from 2011 to 2014, and KIA in 2017 and 2024).

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*This content was translated by AI.