'There might not be a "what if"... Choi Hyung-woo nearly staged a stunning comeback as a catcher for the first time in 12 years. The dedication of the 43rd-year veteran was remarkable.

*This content was translated by AI.

While there is no such thing as a "what if" in baseball, a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle nearly etched itself into KBO League history. Circumstances were captured showing that Samsung Lions' "forties-solver" Choi Hyung-woo (43) was actually preparing to wear the catcher's mask and guard home plate.

On the 23rd, Samsung lost a heartbreaking 3-4 away game against the LG Twins at Jamsil Baseball Stadium. Trailing 0-4, they mounted a fierce comeback to add three runs in the sixth inning and showed persistence by reaching a bases-loaded situation with one out in the ninth, but ultimately fell short.

The first two runs were conceded following a fielding error by shortstop Kim Young-woong in the bottom of the first inning. Then, in the bottom of the fourth, a fielding error by Kang Min-ho, the team's most senior position player and starting catcher, compounded the issue, widening the score gap to 0-4.

In response, Samsung manager Park Jin-man immediately replaced Kang Min-ho with backup catcher Kim Do-hwan at the start of the defensive inning in the bottom of the fifth, executing an unprecedented "disciplinary shock therapy." This sent a strong message to the entire team. Coincidentally, in the top of the sixth with the bases loaded, Diaz hit a three-run double, bringing the score to 3-4 and enabling Samsung to mount a comeback to the brink.

In the top of the ninth, Samsung displayed incredible focus. This was the team's final offensive opportunity while trailing by one run. As the inning's leadoff hitter and the team's last remaining catcher, Jang Seung-hyun's turn at bat approached, the Samsung bench deployed their "best card," Choi Hyung-woo, as a pinch hitter.

Choi Hyung-woo opened the inning with a massive double that struck the right-field wall against LG closer Son Ju-young. This was followed by consecutive walks from Kim Ji-chan and Kim Sung-yoon, giving Samsung a decisive comeback opportunity with a bases-loaded situation and one out.

Behind the Samsung dugout from the ninth inning onward, tension was mounting. By using Choi Hyung-woo as a pinch hitter, the team faced a "catcher annihilation" scenario where all three catchers on the roster (Kang Min-ho, Kim Do-hwan, and Jang Seung-hyun) were exhausted. If a subsequent batter had hit a timely hit to tie the game or take the lead, forcing Samsung to play defense in the bottom of the ninth, there would have been not a single professional catcher available to guard home plate.

The last emergency card prepared by Samsung was none other than the pinch runner himself, Choi Hyung-woo. It was reported that if the game had been tied or if Samsung had taken the lead, Choi Hyung-woo would have been highly likely to take the field as a catcher.

Choi Hyung-woo originally joined the Samsung Lions as a "catcher" in 2002. After being released and re-signed, he transitioned to the outfield and became a dominant solver in the league, yet his body still remembers the fundamentals and instincts of being a catcher. His last official appearance as a catcher occurred on June 12, 2014, during a game against Mokdong Nexcel (now Kiwoom) while he was with Samsung. At that time, with all catchers including Lee Ji-young and Lee Heung-ryeon exhausted, he moved from left field to catcher and wore the mask for exactly one inning. He has never appeared as a catcher while playing for the KIA Tigers.

Had Choi Hyung-woo hit a tying or go-ahead run with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth on this day, he would have nearly staged a miraculous scene of wearing the catcher's mask for the first time in 12 years (4,394 days) since 2014.

Unfortunately, the comeback attempt failed as subsequent batters Koo Ja-wook and Diaz were retired on consecutive strikeouts, ending the game with the bases still loaded. Although the team lost, the 43rd-year veteran's dedication in volunteering to play the physically demanding and injury-prone catcher position, quietly gearing up and waiting, was enough to send a powerful message to the entire Samsung squad after losing the first game of a six-game series.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.