*This content was translated by AI.View Original
"Wait and see."
For Lee Kang-cheol (60), manager of KT Wiz, there was a plan all along. Amidst a fierce battle for first place, he returned not only the final at-bat but also the third base position that Hwang Jae-kyun (39), the "Championship Captain," had guarded for his entire career to him. In the end, Hwang's eyes turned red with emotion.
On the 13th, KT defeated Lotte Giants 5-2 in a regular-season home game at Suwon KT Wiz Park as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League.
This day marked the retirement ceremony for Hwang Jae-kyun, who led KT to its first-ever unified championship upon the team's founding in 2021. From before the game began, Wiz Park was packed with fans eager to witness Hwang's final moments, and all 18,700 seats were sold out an hour before kickoff. This marked KT's 22nd sellout home game of the season.
Until just before the game, it was uncertain whether Hwang Jae-kyun would actually play, as KT was engaged in a tight first-place race with second-place Samsung Lions, separated by only one game. The protagonist himself prioritized the team. Before the game, he said, "It's up to the manager to decide whether I'll play," adding, "Rather than me playing today, KT is fighting for first place and on a five-game winning streak; I don't want to break that. I just hope the team wins."
However, Manager Lee did not want to let his disciple's final chapter pass without a proper send-off. According to the manager, who told Hwang Jae-kyun to "do as you wish," Hwang reportedly said, "I'd like to step up when I have some time." The manager then added meaningfully with a smile, "My style is to use a player even if we're ahead by three runs. Didn't I put Park Kyung-soo in for defense too?"
Indeed, the three-run lead materialized. With KT leading 3-2 in the bottom of the 5th inning, Sam Hilliard's two-run home run extended their advantage to 5-2. Then, in the bottom of the 6th with one out, during Kwon Dong-jin's at-bat, Wiz Park erupted as Hwang Jae-kyun's name appeared on the scoreboard.
Hwang Jae-kyun, wearing a helmet, smiled awkwardly and first bowed deeply toward the KT fans in the first-base section. After greeting those in the third-base section and his teammates, he faced off against Lotte's second-year left-handed pitcher Lee Young-jae. It was his first real at-bat in 345 days.
Hwang Jae-kyun swung hard at a 148 km/h fastball on the first pitch but missed. He took a ball on the second pitch, then fouled off a third straight pitch to continue the at-bat. However, he swung again at a high outside 150 km/h fastball and struck out on a swing-and-miss.
There was no hit. Yet the applause from KT fans never really stopped. And Manager Lee's consideration did not end there. In the top of the 7th inning, Hwang Jae-kyun appeared on the field again with an infield glove. Initially warming up near shortstop, he swapped positions with Heo Kyung-min and moved to his symbolic third base position.
Hwang Jae-kyun spent most of his professional career as a third baseman. At KT, he guarded the hot corner for eight seasons from 2018 through last year. Manager Lee recalled before the game that "for seven years, I never had to worry about the third baseman."
In essence, he wanted to let him step onto that spot one last time. After Son Dong-hyun threw the first pitch, Hwang Jae-kyun was replaced by Jang Jun-won. This was Manager Lee's choice to give him a long defensive stint without affecting the outcome of the game, yet officially allowing him to tread the field for the final time.
Now it was truly the end. Hwang Jae-kyun embraced Heo Kyung-min and Kim Sang-soo in turn. His eyes were already red with emotion. After exchanging greetings with teammates including Kim Hyun-soo and Han Seung-taek, he walked toward the dugout and bowed once more to the fans.
Hwang Jae-kyun joined Hyundai Unicorns in 2006, played for Heroes and Lotte, and even reached the Major Leagues with the San Francisco Giants in 2017. After returning to Korea by signing a free agent contract with KT in 2018, he spent his longest eight-season stretch of his 20-year professional career in Suwon.
In 2021, as captain, he led KT to its first-ever regular-season first place and Korean Series championship. In the KBO League, he appeared in a total of 2,200 games, recording 2,266 hits, 227 home runs, 1,121 RBIs, 1,172 runs scored, and 235 stolen bases. His total games played and most hits both rank seventh all-time.
Thus, the 20th-year playing career of "Championship Captain" Hwang Jae-kyun came to a close in Suwon, where he had stayed the longest, with his final appearance at the third base position he knew best.
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
