Cool Choi Hyung-woo: "KT's results don't matter; we just need to play well." Even as the oldest player in history to hit a grand slam, he focused solely on his team winning the championship.

*This content was translated by AI.

Leading his team to a decisive victory by breaking the KBO League record for the oldest grand slam in 20 years, Choi Hyung-woo (43, Samsung Lions) kept his eyes fixed on one goal: "team championship." Even amid fierce competition for first place, he displayed the steady charisma of a veteran, refusing to be swayed by opponents' results and focusing entirely on his own team's performance.

On the 26th at Seoul Gocheok Sky Dome in the "2026 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League" match against Kiwoom Heroes, Choi Hyung-woo started as the designated hitter batting fourth and immediately took control of the game with a massive grand slam in his first at-bat of the top of the first inning.

Entering his first at-bat of the top of the first with no outs and bases loaded, Choi Hyung-woo crushed pitcher Park Jun-hyun's opening pitch—a 152 km/h fastball—sending it over the center-right field fence for a 130-meter grand slam. This was his 16th home run of the season, his 10th career grand slam, and the 1st,158th grand slam in KBO League history.

With this single hit, Choi Hyung-woo recorded a grand slam at age 42 years, 8 months, and 10 days, rewriting the KBO League record for the oldest player to hit a grand slam—surpassing Felix Jose (then with Lotte, aged 41 years, 3 months, 29 days) set on August 31, 2006. This new record stands after a gap of nearly 20 years.

Adding to the story, the opposing pitcher was Park Jun-hyun, son of former Samsung Lions coach Park Seok-min, who had shared glory during the "Samsung Dynasty" era. Empowered by Choi's grand slam, Samsung's lineup exploded across all positions, crushing Kiwoom 12-2 and closing the gap to first-place KT Wiz to just half a game.

After the game, Choi Hyung-woo calmly reflected on the historic moment. Regarding the home run situation, he explained, "In a bases-loaded scenario, I originally intended to hit a sacrifice fly. I was looking for a fastball, and hitting it lightly led to a great result." When asked about surpassing Jose's record as the oldest grand slam hitter, he waved his hand dismissively, saying, "I don't think the record itself holds much significance."

On the intense race for first place against KT, Choi remained composed. He stated firmly, "KT's game results don't matter much. We just need to play well." He added, "However, if KT continues to perform well and becomes too difficult to catch up with, then we will have to acknowledge them," displaying a cool, competitive mindset befitting a seasoned player.

Emphasizing team victory over personal records, Choi Hyung-woo declared, "There are only a few games left in the season. I will do my utmost to finish the regular season as champions." He reaffirmed his unwavering determination to win the league title.

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*This content was translated by AI.