"A 'Sorry' and a flood of 'No!' from LG fans moved Hong Chang-ki to tears... A touching interview as moving as the walk-off"

*This content was translated by AI.

"I am so sorry for not being able to help the team."

When Hong Chang-ki (33, LG Twins) finally found the words to speak, voices immediately erupted from the stands at Jamsil Baseball Stadium: "No!!", "Hong Chang-ki! Hong Chang-ki!" Ultimately, Hong Chang-ki bowed his head and could not hold back his tears.

This scene occurred after the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League NC Dinos game held at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium on the 25th. On this day, Hong Chang-gi started as the ninth batter and right fielder, recording one hit in five at-bats with one walk and one RBI.

There was only one hit, but it came at the most crucial moment. LG trailed 3-4 in the bottom of the 10th inning of extra innings. Leadoff batter Austin Dean tripled to the center field wall and reached base, then Song Chan-ui drove in a run with a two-run double down the left-field line to tie the game 4-4. A wild pitch followed, putting runners on base with no outs at third base.

NC intentionally walked Moon Bo-kyung and Moon Jeong-bin in succession, a strategic move to induce a double play with the bases loaded. It initially seemed as though NC's decision had paid off, as Koo Bon-hyuk and Park Dong-won both flew out in consecutive at-bats.

But Hong Chang-gi was there at the end. Hong swung his bat boldly from the first pitch. The well-hit ball stretched deep into left-center field. It was a perfect walk-off hit that no fielder needed to chase.

After the game, Hong Chang-gi told reporters, "I never thought I would even come up. (Former) Byun-hyuk hit a single in his previous at-bat, so I had a good sense of it. I was just thinking about congratulating him, but when a fly ball came out, I thought, 'Just in case,' and decided to prepare."

He continued, "I wondered why such trials were coming to me. Still, as I stepped up to the plate, I tried to focus. I expected Jeon Sa-min to try to get a count since he has good control and we couldn't afford to give up a run, so I swung early. It felt like it had been a very long time since I hit from that spot, but I'm glad the result was good. I think my contact was really good today as well," he said with a bright smile.

It was a single swing that ended a 3-hour and 43-minute battle. Hong Chang-gi even displayed an intense celebration, which is rarely seen from him. He threw his glove to the ground and embraced his teammates.

That was a period of significant emotional hardship. For Hong Chang-ki, 2026 was an important season as he approached his first free agency (FA) in his career. However, through the game on the 25th, he recorded a batting average of 0.248 (359 at-bats, 89 hits), 29 RBIs, 61 runs scored, an on-base percentage of 0.380, a slugging percentage of 0.295, and an OPS of 0.675.

It was the most difficult season since he secured a starting position. Hong Chang-gi said, "I don't think I've ever performed this poorly after becoming a starter. Going through this season, I have many new realizations about how to manage my mindset and how to respond at the plate."

He added, "It was really hard to get even a single hit. It felt like I could barely manage one hit in ten at-bats. This season made me realize once again how difficult baseball truly is." He continued, "Although the season isn't over yet, I believe the experience from this year will be of great help as we prepare for next year's and the following year's seasons."

It was not a lack of effort. Hong Chang-gi is well known as a player who visits personal training centers even on his days off to dedicate himself to training. He said, "I think I worked the hardest this season. Not only on my days off but also during breaks, I tried to find what felt good and watched many videos."

As the results failed to materialize, his heart grew heavier, yet he showed no sign of it in the dugout. Hong Chang-gi reflected, "While I am struggling, players like Song Chan-ui and Moon Jeong-bin have performed well, enabling us to achieve these results. Therefore, I tried my best to help by joking with the players to lighten the mood or informing them about how to hit against pitchers they haven't faced yet. Although my own performance has been poor, I constantly thought from the bench, 'What can I do?'"

That is why fans cheered for Hong Chang-ki so loudly. And because that fan support reached him, Hong Chang-ki finally wiped away his tears. Hong Chang-ki said, "I felt like I was causing too much trouble for the team. The manager has always believed in me and given me opportunities, and the fans have supported me, yet in the end, I only showed a very poor performance. For various reasons, I got emotional," as he offered an awkward smile.

Hong Chang-gi is a special player for LG fans. After attending Ansan High School and Konkuk University, Hong joined the team in the second round of the 2016 rookie draft as the 27th overall pick. Starting with his first full-time season in 2020, he has established himself as a key figure for LG.

Hong Chang-gi's growth into a top-tier leadoff hitter coincided with LG's journey to becoming a powerhouse that looks forward to fall baseball every year after a long wait. His presence was so significant that the term "Changi Twins" once emerged among fans.

"No way!" and "Hong Chang-ki!" were the cheers that LG fans gave in response to Hong Chang-ki's difficult apology during his toughest season.

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*This content was translated by AI.