*This content was translated by AI.
"Everyone I've met congratulated me."
On the night the 18th-game losing streak, which had continued for nearly two years, finally ended, Kiwoom Heroes' Kim Yun-ha (21) received a flood of calls on his phone. The painful record etched into KBO's 45-year history paradoxically became proof of just how much love this player receives.
On the 26th in the Gwangju KIA Tigers game, Kim Yun-ha pitched five innings, allowing seven hits (three home runs), one walk, striking out five batters, and giving up three earned runs, leading Kiwoom to an 8-3 victory. This was his first starting win since the Jamsil Doosan Bears game on July 25, 2024—two years later. At the same time, his personal 18-game losing streak, which had begun with the Gochok SSG Landers game on August 7, 2024, finally came to an end.
The 18-game losing streak was the second-longest in KBO League history. The record for the most consecutive losses by a single player belongs to Jang Si-hwan (39) of the LG Twins with 19 straight defeats. Ahead of the Jamsil LG Twins game on the 28th, Kim Yun-ha told reporters in an interview: "After the last game ended, I got on the bus and checked my phone. Not only friends, seniors, and juniors, but also elementary, middle, and high school coaches and managers—all the people I've ever met congratulated me. I received tremendous encouragement."
Kim Yun-ha emerged from the dugout more calmly than expected after the victory. Reflecting on that moment, he said: "At the time, my seniors (Ha) Young-min, (Kim) Sun-ki, and (Kim) Sung-min told me, 'You haven't won in so long—why aren't you smiling?' I think I started to relax a little from then on. After the game ended, the older players on the field gave me high-fives and said, 'You worked so hard.' That made me truly happy."
The painful memory also became a turning point for him to realize just how much he is loved as a player. Footage of Kim Yun-ha's post-game interview spread quickly across social media and online communities. His teammates also took to their own social media, tagging Kim Yun-ha to celebrate the victory after two years.
In response, Kim Yun-ha left a lengthy thank-you message on his personal social media. He said: "I replied to everyone I'm personally close with. Fans sent an enormous number of supportive messages. But since replying to all of them would have kept me awake all night, I decided to respond via Instagram Stories instead."
The greatest strength that helped him endure the long losing streak was his seniors' unwavering belief in him. According to Kim Yun-ha, An Woo-jin (28) personally asked his teammates the day before his appearance: "(Kim) Yun-ha, please help him out." In this way, his seniors never placed the blame for the long losing streak solely on Kim Yun-ha; instead, they continued to encourage him.
He said: "My seniors told me, 'We're not happy that you're going through such hardship at such a young age, but you shouldn't run away from it. This defeat is no longer just yours. Don't worry about the losing streak; if you show everything you can, eventually someone will break this record.' I am truly grateful for their words."
This explains why the win meant more than just a single victory for Kiwoom and Kim Yun-ha. Ahead of the Jamsil LG game on the 28th, Seol Jong-jin, Kiwoom's manager, expressed greater joy over Kim Yun-ha's starting win than anyone else.
Manager Seol said: "Even before the game started, the players showed strong determination. We knew about the 18th-game losing streak, but I didn't realize it had lasted two years—I thought they must have struggled a lot." He added: "Today, when I met (Kim) Yun-ha, I told him, 'You've passed through a long tunnel; now only good things will happen.' This Saturday we'll play again, and I believe he'll deliver another great performance."
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*This content was translated by AI.
