"What if Park Geun-seo gets upset?" The father's La Bamba dance turned the draft upside down, but he only realized it too late... The son, however, said, "If not for my parents, I couldn't have gotten here."

*This content was translated by AI.

"It's only once in a lifetime for my dad too, so I hope he enjoyed it very much."

Overjoyed at his son's entry into professional baseball, the father sang and danced on the draft stage. However, as he descended from the podium after turning the entire draft hall upside down, he suddenly worried that his son beside him might feel embarrassed. The mother was also anxious, wondering what else her husband would do next. Yet when they met afterward, their son remained calm.

Lotte Giants selected Seoul Design High School left-handed pitcher Park Geun-seo (18) with the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 2027 KBO Rookie Draft held on the 21st at the World Crystal Ballroom of Lotte Hotel in Seoul.

Park Geun-seo is one of the players whose stock rose most steeply this year. With a fastball reaching speeds up to 149 km/h, he emerged as a top candidate for the first round during his third-year season and even attracted interest from Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. However, he chose to prove himself in the KBO League first and ultimately donned a Lotte uniform with the high pick of fourth overall.

On this day, there was someone who drew as much attention as Park Geun-seo: his father. After his son's name was called, Park Geun-seo's father joined him on stage and suddenly asked, "May I sing just one song before coming down?" He then began singing 'La Bamba,' a song he had long enjoyed. It was not just any song; the lyrics meaning "I am not a sailor but a captain" were connected to his port city of Busan and Lotte, reflecting his wish that his son would one day become the team's 'captain.'

With the addition of dancing, the event venue instantly turned into a sea of laughter. In an interview with reporters after the draft, Park Geun-seo's father laughed and said, "From the day before yesterday, (Park) Geun-seo kept asking me, 'What are you going to do? If I go out there and say something foolish, will I just come down immediately? Should I go to college?' He was worried."

He continued, "I was also wondering what to do, so I decided to sing a song enthusiastically and then come down. La Bamba is a song I've always sung at karaoke places since long ago, and since the lyrics mention needing a captain, I prepared for it expecting Lotte's selection." He burst out laughing, saying, "I practiced and polished myself before going on stage, but the singing was a complete mess."

While he had fun on stage, he felt a moment of worry as he came down. Park Geun-seo's father revealed, "Everyone sitting there seemed to enjoy it, so I thought I did well and came down, but I noticed Geun-seo's face turning red beside me. Suddenly, I got worried: 'What if he gets upset?'"

The mother was not much different either. On the broadcast screen, her eyes were tightly shut as her husband's singing began, becoming another topic of discussion. Park Geun-seo's mother laughed and said, "I expected him to do something extraordinary with his remarks. I hoped he would at least be somewhat ordinary, but I never imagined he would sing." She added, "It was yet another episode that broke my expectations."

However, his parents' worries were unfounded. Park Geun-seo said, "My dad has always been like that; I knew he was going to do something, but I never imagined it would be dancing." He continued, "I had prepared a longer statement for my selection remarks, but seeing what my dad did made my mind go blank. Neither I nor my mom expected him to go that far, so we were both very surprised. That's why we just wanted to finish quickly and come down."

It was true that his face turned red from embarrassment. However, it was not out of shame. Park Geun-seo said, "In a way, my parents have been supporting me continuously for this very day." He added, "Without the help of my dad and mom, I couldn't have gotten here. So, I feel truly grateful." He then encouraged his father by saying, "It's only once in a lifetime for my dad too, so I hope he enjoyed it very much."

From the beginning of Park Geun-seo's baseball career, there was his parents' choice. When his son, who loved soccer as a child, wanted to experience whatever sport he desired, his father allowed him to do so freely. The decisive moment came from America. While visiting his aunt's house, he watched a Major League game with his family and became fascinated by baseball after seeing Choi Jee-man (35·Ulsan Whales) play that day.

It was the moment when a soccer boy who loved Cristiano Ronaldo switched his direction to become a baseball player. In a previous interview with StarNews, Park Geun-seo recalled, "I remember watching a game where senior Choi Jee-man hit a go-ahead home run and led the team to victory. The game was so fun that I became interested in baseball."

Baseball that started this way led to his selection as the fourth overall pick in the first round of professional baseball after nearly a decade. He is also excited about joining a new team. Park Geun-seo said, "I know Lotte is a team with a long history. I feel even happier because the team that picked me is Lotte. I will work hard to be helpful to the team." He added, "I also know that fans have high expectations. Since I was the first pick for Lotte, I want to live up to those expectations and become the team's franchise star."

He continued, "I visited Busan once during a tournament in middle school, but I haven't been there much. I thought I would be going to another region, so it's exciting that it turned out to be Busan. I also know well that there are many fans there. That's why I realize I need to be more careful with every action I take. I must work harder."

He did not hide his expectations for fellow left-handed pitcher Kim Jin-wook (24·Lotte). He said, "I have always really liked and followed senior Kim Jin-wook closely. Now that we are on the same team, I want to ask him many questions and learn from him so that I can become a player like senior Kim Jin-wook."

The father who worried his son might feel embarrassed. The mother who hoped the day would pass quietly and normally. But for Park Geun-seo himself, the protagonist of that day was not just himself.

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*This content was translated by AI.