Is it true that Choi Hyung-woo hit only one home run in June? Yet, he possesses a 'substantial' presence beyond the numbers.

*This content was translated by AI.

He hit just one home run in June, yet he maintains a 'substantial' presence that goes beyond mere statistics.

This is the story of Samsung Lions' Choi Hyung-woo (43), who is currently rewriting the record for the oldest batter to appear in a KBO League game.

On the 28th, during a match against KT Wiz at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, Choi hit a two-run home run off starting pitcher Ko Young-pyo. It was his ninth home run of the season. A somewhat surprising fact is that this was his first home run of the month, achieved after 23 games.

Choi, who hit a monthly batting average of 0.386 in May, saw his hitting pace drop sharply in June. From the NC Dinos game on the 3rd to the KIA Tigers game on the 7th, he went hitless in five consecutive games. By the Kiwoom Heroes game on the 16th, he had fallen into a severe slump in 13 June games, recording 5 hits in 36 at-bats for a batting average of 0.139.

However, his appearance as the starting second batter for the first time in 17 years on the 18th against Kiwoom became the turning point. Choi, who recorded three hits and three RBIs, including a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth, has shown a clear recovery trend since the LG Twins game on the 23rd, hitting safely in six consecutive games.

His batting average for June stands at 0.257 (19 hits in 74 at-bats) over 23 games. Yet, in terms of the 'nutritional value' of his hitting, he continues to display the seasoned experience befitting the all-time KBO League leader in hits (2,668) and RBIs (1,792).

In June, Choi ranks third among Samsung batters with 13 RBIs, behind Diaz (29) and Koo Ja-wook (16). He also hit two game-winning runs, second only to Koo Ja-wook (4), with Kim Sung-yoon also hitting two.

On the 27th against KT, with the score trailing 2-3 in the bottom of the eighth inning with one out and runners on second and third, he delivered a go-ahead, game-winning double. The home run on the 28th was a valuable blast that came immediately after Koo Ja-wook's two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning had put the team ahead 3-2. Thanks to Choi's home run, Samsung secured a 7-4 victory, maintaining their second-place position and extending their lead over third-place KT to 1.5 games.

In a recent broadcast interview, Choi said, "I hit incredibly well for my age in the early part of the season, so honestly, I didn't think that was my true ability. I thought I would fall off and that I would bounce back again." Regarding the aging curve, he added casually, "In a way, it's natural to hear such comments as you get older. I consider it fate, so I'm fine with it."

Perhaps the secret to his league-leading performance this season, ranking eighth in batting average (0.320) and seventh in RBIs (55), lies not only in his diligent self-management but also in this kind of mental ease and humility.

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*This content was translated by AI.