'39-Year-Old' Veteran Catcher Shows Class, Delivers Message of Advice to 'Three' Younger Teammates

*This content was translated by AI.

Doosan Bears' home-field stalwart Yang Ui-ji (39) has made a comeback. Yet, more than his own resurgence, he prioritized his younger teammates.

On the afternoon of the 13th, Doosan secured a 9-2 victory over NC in their regular-season home game at Seoul Jamsil Baseball Stadium as part of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO League schedule.

With this win, Doosan avenged their 9-10 loss to NC on the 12th, finishing the weekend two-game series against NC with one win and one loss.

Doosan now holds a record of 64 wins, 60 losses, and 4 ties, maintaining sole possession of fifth place in the league. They have extended their lead over sixth-place NC from two games to three games.

Additionally, this victory improved Doosan's head-to-head record against NC for the season to 9-4. Only three matchups remain between the two teams this season. The decisive three-game series will be held in Jamsil from the 29th through October 1st.

Yang Ui-ji started at catcher and batted fourth, recording two hits in three at-bats (including one home run), driving in one run and scoring twice.

In the bottom of the second inning, he led off with a single to left field. Following walks by Kim Min-seok and then Kang Seung-ho with one out, Yang Ui-ji advanced to third base. He eventually scored on Ahn Jae-suk's sacrifice fly, giving Doosan an early lead.

In the bottom of the third inning, Yang Ui-ji was retired on a foul pop-up by the catcher. Then in the bottom of the fifth, with two outs and no runners on base, he stepped up for his third at-bat against NC pitcher Ryu Jin-wook. After a full-count battle, Yang Ui-ji connected with a 148 km/h fastball down the middle on the sixth pitch, launching a solo home run over the left-center field wall. This home run marked Yang Ui-ji's second consecutive season reaching the 20th-home-run milestone.

In fact, Yang Ui-ji had gone hitless in seven consecutive games from the LG Twins matchup on the 2nd through the Kiwoom Heroes game on the 10th. He recorded a single against NC on the 12th and followed it up with multiple hits in today's game, successfully demonstrating his return to form. For Doosan, which has a busy schedule ahead for the remainder of the season, Yang Ui-ji's resurgence is welcome news.

After the game, Yang Ui-ji said, "This was truly an important game, and we were able to win thanks to the strong performances by Choi Min-seok and Kim Min-seok, our two 'Min-seoks,'" praising his younger teammates first.

He continued, "While I'm happy about the home run, the single from my first at-bat was personally more meaningful. The number of home runs isn't particularly important right now. My batting form hasn't been great recently, but I will work to improve my condition further and contribute to our team's race for standings."

Yang Ui-ji added with a smile, "Now, (Kwak) Bin, (Choi) Min-seok, and (Park) Jun-soon are heading to the Asian Games as part of the national team. I told them unconditionally to return with gold medals around their necks." He then expressed, "I deeply thank our fans who have consistently cheered for us in loud voices. We will rest well on the 14th and prepare thoroughly for the next game," reaffirming his determination once more.

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*This content was translated by AI.