*This content was translated by AI.
Lotte Giants outfielder 'Malang' Hwang Sung-bin (29) once again dominated the All-Star Game, proving himself to be KBO League's top 'showman,' and shared his thoughts on the performance he put on at the baseball field for fans.
Hwang Sung-bin was selected as one of the best 12 outfielders in the Dream All-Star category for the "Festival of Stars" 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO All-Star Game held on the 11th at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium, where he showcased a bold dog performance and won the 'Best Performance Award' (prize money 3 million won). This marks his first title win in two years, following his "Rider (delivery driver) performance" at the All-Star Game held in Incheon in 2024.
Hwang Sung-bin's performance was foreshadowed before the game even began. Immediately after the game started, Hwang Sung-bin raised a banner reading "I've played this game!" from the dugout, taking control of the Sharing All-Star team's momentum.
The highlight came in the bottom of the 7th inning during the Dream All-Star's offensive situation. Having finished his dog costume change in the dugout, Hwang Sung-bin headed not to the batter's box but to the first base coach's box. There stood Kim Tae-hyung, manager of Lotte, serving as the first base coach.
Holding a bone-shaped cushion in his mouth, Hwang Sung-bin knelt quietly before Manager Kim. Seeing this, Manager Kim broke into a smile that is rarely seen during the regular season. When leadoff batter Park Chan-ho then hit a double to second base, Hwang Sung-bin lunged toward second base like an aggressive dog, and Manager Kim pulled him back to stop him, creating a scene that sent Jamsil Stadium into fits of laughter.
The climax came when Hwang Sung-bin was at bat with one out and runners on third base. The stadium erupted with the sound of Hwang Sung-bin's entrance song, "Who Let The Dogs Out," as he stepped into the batter's box with gestures mimicking running on all fours in time with the music. This ultimately reached the peak of the performance. In the end, Hwang Sung-bin secured 12,134 votes (a vote share of 28%) out of a total of 43,910 fan votes cast for the Performance Award, becoming the recipient of the honor.
After the game, Hwang Sung-bin said, "I sincerely thank the manager who helped with the performance. I wouldn't have been able to win this award if the manager hadn't helped," passing the credit back to the manager.
Behind the record-breaking performance lay unique concerns. Hwang Sung-bin confessed, "Since this is my second appearance following 2024, I felt a heavy burden in preparing for the performance. It was not easy to focus on the preparation process because it was an important time when we needed to improve our team's results." He continued with a smile, "However, I thought, 'I should become the manager's dog' in sync with the entrance song. I am truly glad that fans enjoyed it again this year."
Capping off Jamsil's final All-Star Game with his cheerful performance, Hwang Sung-bin said, "I think I'll be able to rest comfortably today. I will focus on baseball again and strive to show a good performance in the second half," vowing for a rebound in the latter part of the season.
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*This content was translated by AI.
