"I thought of the Beijing Olympics," a vision formed in the mind of national shortstop Park Jin-man, who engineered Samsung's 9th-inning double play to secure first place in the first half. [Daegu Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

The Samsung Lions overcame a bases-loaded, one-out crisis in the 9th inning to secure first place in the first half for the first time in 11 years. At the heart of this achievement was Samsung manager Park Jin-man (50), who recalled memories of glory from 18 years ago as the national shortstop.

Samsung defeated LG 6-5 in a regular-season home game at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 9th, part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League season.

The match nearly slipped away. With Samsung leading 6-3 in the top of the 9th inning, closer Kim Jae-yoon faced a major crisis. First, with no outs and runners on second and third, Park Hae-min's infield grounder allowed one run. LG batters showed remarkable focus. Austin drew a walk after seven pitches, followed by Song Chan-ui walking after nine pitches to load the bases. Dong-won Park then reached base via a bases-loaded walk, shifting the score to 5-6 with one out and bases loaded.

At that moment, Samsung shortstop Kim Sang-jun moved forward in an attempt to force a double play. The strategy succeeded as Kim Jae-yoon induced a ground ball from Cheon Seong-ho to the shortstop, completing a 6-4-3 double play and securing Samsung's one-run victory.

Remarkably, this was a play directly drawn by the manager himself. Manager Park Jin-man is a former legendary shortstop in the KBO League. Notably, he played as the starting shortstop at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, leading South Korea to an undefeated eight-game run and gold medal, earning him the nickname "national shortstop."

That decisive moment occurred during the gold medal match against Cuba at the Beijing Olympics. At that time, South Korea led Cuba 3-2 by one run in the top of the 9th inning with one out and bases loaded. Jung Dae-hyun was on the mound, and manager Park Jin-man played shortstop. Yulieski Gurriel hit a routine ground ball to the shortstop off Jung Dae-hyun's sinker. Manager Park threw to second base, where Ko Young-min relayed the throw to first for the double play, securing South Korea's first-ever Olympic baseball gold medal.

Recalling that moment, the manager stated after the game: "I remembered the 2008 Beijing Olympics and had shortstop Kim Sang-jun move forward slightly, which ultimately worked out well."

Thanks to not settling for a lead but continuing to add runs, Samsung was able to shake off LG's fierce pursuit. Kang Min-ho hit a line drive against Yassel Baez's 156 km/h fastball with no outs and a runner on first in the bottom of the 6th inning when the score was tied 3-3, resulting in a two-run double down the left-field line for the go-ahead hit. Samsung extended their lead further with Kim Sung-yoon's RBI single to right field, and Young-woong Kim's solo home run to center field in the bottom of the 8th inning with one out sealed the victory.

Manager Park Jin-man praised: "Young-woong Kim's late-inning home run had a significant impact on our victory today. The bullpen pitchers, especially relievers, held the game steady throughout, and Kang Min-ho contributed both offensively and defensively to help secure the win."

With this result, Samsung achieved a winning series with two wins and one loss, finishing the first half with 51 wins, two ties, and 32 losses (winning percentage 0.614), overtaking LG, who finished with 52 wins and 33 losses (winning percentage 0.612). Samsung's first-half first-place finish marks their first since July 16, 2015 — an 11-year gap.

Manager Park Jin-man expressed gratitude: "Throughout the first half, there were times when our batting was strong and times when it wasn't. However, thanks to the players' consistent performances, we maintained good results and reached first place."

He added, "It's difficult to name just one MVP for the first half. All players played excellent roles in their respective positions. I expect that once injured players return in the second half, we will be able to operate with an even better atmosphere."

Nevertheless, a few players stood out. In the bullpen, closer Kim Jae-yoon and left-handed reliever Lee Seung-min were key figures. This is Kim Jae-yoon's third year with Samsung; he recorded 4 wins, 3 losses, and 22 saves in 40 games during the first half, with an ERA of 2.87 over 37⅔ innings and 40 strikeouts. Lee Seung-min, a seventh-year professional, contributed 4 wins without loss and 13 saves in 42 games, posting an ERA of 1.83 over 39⅓ innings with 28 strikeouts, effectively serving as the bridge between starters and Kim Jae-yoon.

Manager Park Jin-man said: "Among them, Lee Seung-min and Kim Jae-yoon dedicated themselves tirelessly throughout the first half. I am especially grateful for their heavy workload without any rest."

The contributions of veteran players Choi Hyung-woo (43) and captain Koo Ja-wook (33), who anchored Samsung's young position players, were also acknowledged. Manager Park Jin-man praised: "Choi Hyung-woo maintained the team's core in the middle of the lineup despite not being fully healthy with his hip condition. Koo Ja-wook also played an excellent role as captain by uniting the players and leading the team's atmosphere. I want to express my gratitude to all players."

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*This content was translated by AI.