"I can't believe what I'm saying myself." Choi Hyung-woo himself finds it hard to comprehend: starting six years late, he has now achieved the KBO's first-ever 1,800 RBIs... Samsung alone has been blessed.

*This content was translated by AI.

Choi Hyung-woo (43, Samsung Lions), who set the unprecedented all-time record of 1,800 career RBIs in the KBO League, surprisingly expressed pride.

On the 7th, Choi started at fourth spot and as designated hitter in the home game against LG Twins at Daegu Samsung Lions Park during the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League regular season. He recorded two hits, two RBIs, and one run in four at-bats, leading Samsung to a 9-2 victory.

Thanks to this, Samsung, which had won five straight games, reached 50 wins with a record of 50 wins, 2 draws, and 31 losses (winning percentage 0.617), becoming the second team in the league to reach 50 wins after LG. This also allowed them to close the gap on LG (51 wins, 32 losses; winning percentage 0.614) and take first place by winning percentage.

Choi did not miss either of his two scoring position opportunities. After retiring in his first two at-bats with outs, he stepped up to the plate again in the bottom of the fifth inning with one out and runners on first and second. Immediately, he found himself in a 0 balls, 2 strikes count against Ender Tolhurst's fastball and cutter. However, he connected perfectly with a high fastball, driving it down the left-field line for an RBI double that shifted momentum. Later, LG second baseman Shin Min-jae made a significant error on his glove toss, allowing Choi to score at home plate.

In his final at-bat, Choi wrote new history in the KBO League. With no outs and a runner on second base in the bottom of the seventh inning, after Koo Ja-wook reached base with a single to left field, Choi hit an RBI double to center-left off Lee Woo-chan, achieving his 1,800th career RBI in the KBO League. The milestone of 1,800 RBIs remains unique to Choi Hyung-woo so far. Even the second all-time leader, Choi Jeong (39, SSG Landers), has only reached 1,678 RBIs, making Choi's 1,800 a record that is nearly untouchable.

What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that it was accomplished despite starting full-time seasons at least six years later than his peers. After graduating from Jeonju High School, Choi joined Samsung as the 48th overall pick in the second round of the 2002 rookie draft and began his professional career.

However, he played only six games in the first division through his third season and received a release notice in 2005. After serving in the military with the National Police Agency Baseball Team, he re-joined Samsung in 2008 and recorded his first KBO RBI on April 1 of that year. Coincidentally, the opponent was LG. Since then, except for the 2021 season and this current year, he has accumulated at least 70 RBIs every single season, leading up to today.

Even Choi himself finds his RBI pace incomprehensible. After the game, speaking with reporters, Choi said, "I feel proud, happy, and many emotions are rising. Honestly, even when I reached 1,500 RBIs before, I thought it didn't make sense. Since I started playing full-time seasons at age 26, I couldn't even dream of this. Somehow, I've made it this far, and it truly doesn't make sense. Today, I want to tell myself that I played perfectly and did well."

After successfully recovering from eye issues in 2021, Choi lived with a "resignation letter" in his pocket and paid little attention to records. Yet today, he shared special thoughts about the milestone for reasons of his own.

Choi stated, "I thought I could reach 1,500 RBIs, but since then, I've lived with a resignation letter for four years, so I have no regrets. Because I always felt I could quit at any time, I didn't even think about the numbers or anything else." However, he added firmly, "But I've always been greedy about RBIs, and I take pride in them because they shaped my life."

It was even more meaningful because he finally broke through Tolhurst, who had been like a nemesis. Before this game, Tolhurst had dominated Samsung with a record of 3 wins and 1 loss in four games, posting an ERA of 3.00. In particular, he had completely overshadowed Choi Hyung-woo, holding him hitless in six at-bats with two walks.

Choi commented, "I don't think Tolhurst is perfect, but I can't understand why he's weak against me. Anyway, since we lost, I have nothing to say. When I talked earlier with Park Han, it reminded me of Nipper. We were terribly weak against Nipper back then." He continued, "I'm not sure if our team was held back, but things didn't go well today either. Still, fortunately, both Koo Ja-wook and I got hits, so in the end, we seemed to find our rhythm."

Regardless, it is a blessing for Samsung. Ahead of this season, Choi signed a two-year FA contract worth up to 2.6 billion won and returned to his original team, Samsung. This marked his comeback after moving to KIA Tigers ten years ago following the end of the 2016 season under a four-year deal totaling 10 billion won.

Despite being questioned about his abilities due to his advancing age every year, he proved himself again this season with strong performance. In the regular season so far, he has played in 79 games with a batting average of 0.326 (92 hits in 282 at-bats), 11 home runs, 63 RBIs, and 39 runs scored. His on-base percentage stands at 0.424, slugging percentage at 0.500, and OPS (on-base plus slugging) at 0.924, showcasing top-tier performance in the league. His batting average with runners in scoring position is an impressive 0.362, allowing him to hold onto the fourth spot in the lineup even at age 43.

Choi remarked, "Becoming first place today doesn't carry much meaning. The first half isn't over yet, and once the second half begins, everything resets. It means nothing." He added, "Our batters are in excellent condition right now. Once they get going, it's unstoppable. I'm almost regretful that the games end the day after tomorrow. With our hitting cycle this high, it's inevitable that things will slow down eventually. That's just how life is," leaving a lingering reflection.

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*This content was translated by AI.