"More people told me 'you worked hard' than 'you did well.' The retirement ceremony was possible because of Lotte; Jung-hoon, who said he wouldn't cry, finally shed tears. [Busan]"

*This content was translated by AI.

Jung-hoon (39), who will remain an eternal Lotte Giants man, could not hold back his tears on the final Sajik field.

The Lotte organization held Jung-hoon's retirement ceremony ahead of the home game against the LG Twins at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium on the 26th for the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season.

After graduating from Yangdeok Elementary, Masan Dong Middle, and Yongma High, Jung-hoon entered the professional league as a development player with Hyundai Unicorns in 2006. After completing his military service as an active-duty soldier, he finally blossomed only after joining Lotte as a development player following the end of the 2009 season. Making his first-team debut in 2010 and retiring in 2025, he played 1,476 games exclusively for Lotte, leaving behind a record of a .271 batting average (4,211 at-bats, 1,143 hits), 80 home runs, 532 RBIs, 637 runs scored, and 76 stolen bases, with an on-base percentage of .353 and a slugging percentage of .389.

This was essentially a second retirement ceremony. Lotte had arranged a retirement ceremony during the Busan Hanwha Eagles game on April 17, but it was canceled due to rain. After the autograph session, Jung-hoon met with reporters and said, "There is a bit less nervousness than before. Still, just the fact that it happened makes me grateful. I slept really well last night," smiling.

He continued, "When I first prepared for the retirement ceremony, I thought they were just taking care of me because I had been with this team for a long time. When looking at the results of those who had retirement ceremonies recently, I felt I definitely fell short. But because it was Lotte, (the retirement ceremony) was possible. It was made possible because Lotte fans mentioned the retirement ceremony so much," expressing his gratitude.

He conveyed the fans' grateful feelings through two autograph sessions. Jung-hoon signed for 100 fans who visited the venue despite heavy rain at the time, and on this day, he attended another autograph session for another 100 fans. A full house of 23,200 spectators gathered at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium on this day.

Jung-hoon stated, "Fans said 'you worked hard' and 'thank you' the most. I think they said that because they remembered some difficult memories while watching my baseball. I had good years for 2 or 3 years, but I couldn't perform consistently well throughout my long baseball career, so I think fans knew that and said 'you worked hard' and 'thank you' a lot."

He added, "I felt grateful that my attitude was recognized. In fact, that is why I was able to have a retirement ceremony. There were times when fans liked me and times when they cursed me. There were times when that was burdensome, but after taking off the uniform, I thought a lot about how grateful I was for that kind of attention."

A photo exhibition featuring Jung-hoon's career was held at the central spectator entrance of Sajik Baseball Stadium. Before the game, former teammates who played together, including Hwang Jae-kyun, Son Ah-seop, and Kang Min-ho, sent congratulatory videos via the scoreboard. Lee Dae-ho attended the retirement ceremony in person to present a bouquet, and the LG Giants team, including Park Hae-min, followed with congratulatory applause. Lotte players took the field with patches bearing Jung-hoon's name.

Even Jung-hoon's resolve, which he had firmly stated before the retirement ceremony that he "wouldn't cry" despite the tributes from former and current teammates, crumbled. Although his crying face was captured on the scoreboard, Jung-hoon wiped away tears and said his final farewell to fans as player Jung-hoon.

Just before the game started, video letters from his family were released. The heartwarming scene featured his eldest son, Jung Ji-woo, throwing the first pitch, his youngest son, Jung Ji-hwan, batting first, and Jung-hoon pitching.

Jung-hoon said, "I think because they are still young, they don't quite understand the concept of a retirement ceremony. They thought they were invited to an event and told me, 'Dad, you're lucky.' Also, since Lotte plays games at times when I'm at home, and I've been playing baseball recently at Bulkkot Baseball, it seems I've completely turned my focus there. Because they are still young, I think they now go around saying, 'Our dad is a Bulkkot Baseball player,' and smiled."

The fans' words saying "you worked hard" rather than "you did well" lingered in his mind. Jung-hoon said, "When I first announced I was retiring, there were many reactions of 'how?' I don't know how hard I played baseball, but most people around me said the most 'you worked hard' and 'you endured well with hard work.' I think I heard 'you worked hard' more than 'you did well' during this time," showing a somewhat awkward feeling.

He then smiled broadly, saying, "I'm not the main character to the fans, but I hope I will be remembered as a player who was there for defense at some point, or as a pinch hitter at some point, just to the extent that 'Lotte needed this player (Jung-hoon) at that time.'"

▶Full text of Jung-hoon's retirement speech

- Hello. This is Jung-hoon. First, since the retirement ceremony was postponed due to rain, I would like to thank the fans once again for giving me this precious time. I was only envious of seeing respected seniors say their final goodbyes to fans at their retirement ceremonies, but I never imagined I would find myself in such a position. I am grateful to Lotte Giants Lee Gang-hun (CEO), Team Manager Park Jun-hyuk, and the fans for creating this undeserved place for me.

Seeing my inability to show good performance last year, I gradually came to think that the time had come to leave the field I had grown to love. While I had no regrets about quitting baseball, the fact that I could no longer hear the fans' support made my heart hesitate. After much deliberation at the end of the season, I decided to put aside my own desires for the Lotte Giants I loved and for the fans.

I was able to have a player life happier than anyone else, receiving passionate support and undeserved love for 16 years. An ordinary baseball player was able to become a somewhat special baseball player by meeting Lotte Giants. Because of the fans, there was a player named Jung-hoon.

There were many people I was always grateful for while playing baseball. I learned a lot from all the coaches I worked with, including Coach Kim Tae-hyung, Coach Kim Si-jin, and Coach Heo Moon-hoe, and was able to show good performance as a baseball player until now. Thank you once again.

And even amidst busy schedules, thank you so much to Hyung Lee Dae-ho and Nuna Hye-jeong who always became my support so I wouldn't collapse when tired and hard. Four years ago at Hyung Lee Dae-ho's retirement ceremony, I cried a lot, but today I hope Hyung Lee Dae-ho will show tears. And while I was with Hyung Jun-woo, I was always happy, grateful, and thankful.

Finally, I am grateful to my family who have always been my support. I am grateful to my parents who have believed in and supported me consistently since I started baseball at age 10. To my wife who did all the childcare alone throughout the season without ever showing hardship and always gave me strength, to Ji-woo who always says he is proud that his dad is with Lotte Giants, and to Ji-hwan. From now on, I will live as a good son, a wonderful husband, and the best dad while repaying you. Thank you.

Now I am here to say my final goodbye. I can no longer meet the fans on the field, but I will keep you in my heart forever and live on. I will be with the fans as a fan of Lotte Giants, not just a Lotte Giants player.

I was happy to be Jung-hoon of Lotte Giants, not just a baseball player named Jung-hoon. Thank you.

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*This content was translated by AI.