"Coach, my arm is fine... Please let me go out just once." Lotte's Choi Jun-yong volunteers for a third consecutive appearance behind the scenes... Why did he say he'd treat Son Seong-bin to a meal? [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

"My arm is fine. Please let me go out just once."

Lotte Giants closer Choi Jun-yong (25) volunteered for a third consecutive appearance on a day he should have rested. It was due to the regret of allowing a bases-loaded home run the previous day and the sense of crisis that the team's momentum could be broken if they missed another chance against the first-place LG Twins. And at that final moment, catcher Son Seong-bin's (24) throw completed Lotte's victory.

Lotte defeated the LG Twins 11-9 in a regular-season home game at Busan Sajik Baseball Stadium on June 28, 2026, in the Shinhan SOL KBO League.

It was a meaningful victory. With this win, Lotte achieved a winning series against LG for the first time in about a year. Additionally, the team was able to boost its morale by finishing last week, when they faced teams with a losing record against them (NC Dinos and LG), with 4 wins and 2 losses.

It was a game praised by the manager as well. Lotte manager Kim Tae-hyung emphasized on June 30 ahead of the Jamsil Doosan Bears game, "It was a very important game. Honestly, I thought we were going to lose. Winning such a game was important in terms of the team's atmosphere."

It was also a game that was unpredictable until the very end. They were trailing 11-9 after Austin Dean hit a two-run home run to the left-field wall in the bottom of the 8th inning, and the flow was not guaranteed until the top of the 9th. Both winning pitcher Choi Jun-yong and Kim Won-joong were in their second consecutive appearance, making it difficult to bring them out easily. With the memory of losing a 7-8 comeback victory after leading 5-2 the previous day (27th), a two-run lead seemed even more precarious.

At that moment, closer Choi Jun-yong made a surprise appearance. In a meeting with StarNews ahead of the June 30 Jamsil Doosan game, Choi Jun-yong stated, "Originally, the manager told me to rest. However, the game became tight when Visli was ejected (with a headshot) early in the game. Our pitching staff is doing well, and we have many pitchers, but since LG is such a strong team, I thought my chances of winning would go up a bit if I went out in the later innings, so I warmed up."

He had already thrown 20 pitches on the 26th and 10 pitches on the 27th. Choi Jun-yong also had the memory of allowing a home run to Austin with two outs and bases loaded the previous day, so this appearance was not easy. However, that very fact became the reason he chose to appear.

Choi Jun-yong reflected, "My role as a closer is to come in with two outs and bases loaded and cleanly hold the line, but I couldn't do that. I was also regretful because I got hit with a curveball, which is not my main pitch, and I gave up a lead, so I felt too sorry to my teammates."

He continued, "I wanted to help the team even a little. And I thought that if we missed this game, our batting might not improve until this week (June 30 to July 5). So I told Coach (Kim) Sang-jin, 'We must secure this game (June 28). I will go out and stop them no matter what. Please trust me. My arm is fine, so please tell the manager to let me go out just once.'"

LG was certainly not an easy team to face. After giving up consecutive hits to Moon Sung-ju and Shin Min-jae, Choi Jun-yong was quickly put in a no-out, first-and-second base crisis. At that moment, pitching coach Kim Sang-jin and catcher Son Seong-bin came up. The result of their lengthy discussion was surprising.

A pitch-out was initiated from the first pitch to batter Koo Bon-hyuk. Son Seong-bin caught the ball and threw it to second base, getting Moon Sung-ju out, which brought the atmosphere back to Lotte. Afterward, Choi Jun-yong induced a 4-6-3 double play from Koo Bon-hyuk, allowing Lotte to secure the victory.

Regarding this situation, Son Seong-bin had previously expressed gratitude, saying, "(Choi) Jun-yong told me, 'I'm going to throw to second base on the first pitch, so please throw it a bit high on the outside.' And Jun-yong threw it perfectly."

In response, Choi Jun-yong said, "I don't remember clearly, but (Son) Seong-bin asked me to throw it high. Fortunately, that ball went to a position that was easy for Seong-bin to throw. That day, Seong-bin really carried the whole game. That throw to second base created the atmosphere, and I am still grateful. When Seong-bin returns from the reserve forces, I plan to treat him to a delicious meal," instead taking care of his younger teammate.

The will of the young battery toward victory was truly remarkable. Choi Jun-yong was caught on broadcast grabbing Son Seong-bin again after the strategy meeting and saying, "(Son) Seong-bin, let's hold them off." Choi Jun-yong said with a broad smile, "Both I and (Son) Seong-bin were in a situation where our fighting spirit was up. Especially, I was determined that we must secure that game, so I think I told Seong-bin to hold them off. It turned out exactly as I said, so I was really happy."

He continued, "I feel like our team is gaining some momentum, and it's really fun. Actually, the team wasn't doing well early this season, and that was the first time I thought baseball wasn't fun. Even if I was playing well, I didn't feel good because the team wasn't doing well. But as the recent upward trend continued, I started enjoying going out to play. That game was also one that could continue the upward trend, and I was able to hold them off, so I felt even better."

Choi Jun-yong is a seven-year professional who joined the team after being selected in the first round of the 2020 KBO Rookie Draft following his graduation from Gyeongnam High School. He is heading toward a career high with 33 games, 4 wins, 3 losses, 1 hold, 14 saves, an ERA of 2.88, 34⅓ innings, and 35 strikeouts. His performance was also recognized in this year's All-Star Game player voting. Although Choi Jun-yong narrowly missed the All-Star Game due to the lowest fan vote count, he received the second-highest number of votes from players, with 112 ballots.

Regarding being second in player voting, Choi Jun-yong expressed his gratitude, saying, "I am truly grateful to the players from all nine teams. I don't know what to do with myself that they are recognizing me even a little like this."

He then joked, "Everyone must have been expecting my song, but we can do that after the season ends. I always show you during the off-season, don't I?" He added, "I am a bit disappointed about not going to the All-Star Game, but there will be another opportunity next time. For now, I want to rest well during the All-Star period and prepare well for the second half, focusing on helping our team rise."

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*This content was translated by AI.