"I've been through military service too" — The only veteran on the team was even more desperate... Cho Byung-hyun's sincerity erased Korea's biggest crisis in the gold medal match

*This content was translated by AI.

Cho Byung-hyun (24, SSG Landers), the only "veteran" on the national team, was more desperate than anyone else for his teammates' gold medal. And in the biggest crisis of the final, he directly paved the way by striking out two batters consecutively.

Cho Byung-hyun's performance at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games was intense. In the first group stage game against Taiwan, he recorded three strikeouts without allowing a run over two innings, contributing to Korea's 5-0 victory. There were also regrets. In the Super Round match against Japan, he took the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning while Korea trailed 0-3 and wavered, giving up two runs in two-thirds of an inning.

However, just two days later, when he faced the same opponent again in the final, things were different. In the bottom of the seventh inning, with Korea leading 1-0, starting pitcher Gwak Bin (27, Doosan Bears) allowed Japan to tie the game and left the mound with a runner on first and second base after one out. In a situation where allowing any more runs could have completely shifted the momentum of the game to Japan, Cho Byung-hyun took the mound.

Yet, Cho Byung-hyun said he couldn't even see Gwak Bin's disappointed expression. Returning home through Incheon International Airport on the 28th, Cho told reporters, "I was so focused that I couldn't even see (Gwak) Bin-hyeong's face. I just thought about how to get them out and went up."

The tension actually disappeared once he stepped onto the mound. Cho Byung-hyun said, "I think I was most nervous when watching the game from outside. When I went up to the mound, instead of feeling nervous, I was thinking about how to make the play quickly, so the tension eased."

The result was perfect. He struck out the next two batters consecutively, preventing any of the runners left by Gwak Bin from reaching home. The 1-1 tie remained intact. After weathering the crisis, Cho and Gwak exchanged words of thanks to each other.

There was an unexpected story behind the final strikeout. Cho Byung-hyun recalled, "I thought a lot about whether I should throw that pitch for a strike or a ball. I intended to throw it for a ball, but it ended up being a strike. I was lucky." He added, "(Gwak) Bin-hyeong seemed to say thank you a lot, and I also told Bin-hyeong thank you."

Cho Byung-hyun took the mound again in the eighth inning. After striking out the first batter, he allowed a hit, and when the outfield defense failed to handle the ball cleanly, it became one out with runners on second base. This time, Park Young-hyun (23, KT Wiz) followed up. Park shut down the threat without allowing a run, preserving Korea's 3-1 lead. Thus, the winning combination of the Lee Eo-jin (CEO) team—Gwak Bin, then Cho Byung-hyun, and finally Park Young-hyun—together completed the gold medal.

Cho Byung-hyun said, "I wanted to shut it down cleanly against just two more batters and hand it over to (Park) Young-hyun-ssi, but I was disappointed that I gave up a hit at the end," while adding with an awkward smile, "I am grateful for the positive evaluations."

Perhaps because of this, he spoke first about his teammates who pitched before and after him, rather than focusing on himself receiving attention. Cho Byung-hyun said, "(Gwak) Bin-hyeong was in a situation where he received much more attention than us. Because Bin-hyeong pulled so well at the front, we were able to pitch well behind him. I think we all did well," showing care for his teammates.

This gold medal held one more special meaning for Cho Byung-hyun. He was the only veteran on the team who completed his military service obligation through service in the National COLONY Sports Corps (Sangmu), rather than receiving a military service exemption.

While he was able to continue playing baseball at Sangmu, he also experienced time away from baseball and fans during his military service period. Therefore, Cho Byung-hyun's gaze naturally turned toward his teammates on the national team who had not yet resolved their military service issues.

Cho Byung-hyun said frankly, "I played baseball in the military. But (usually) one has to spend a year and six months without being able to play baseball or meet fans." He added, "From the perspective of someone who has been through military service, I wished my teammates wouldn't have to go, and I really hoped they would receive the military service benefit."

The final for an Asian Games gold medal, a 1-0 lead with runners on first and second base after one out in a tied game. The only "veteran" on the team struck out two batters consecutively at the most dangerous moment. When asked by reporters, "What do you want to say to yourself now that the tournament is over?" Cho Byung-hyun smiled and said, "It was a tournament with a huge burden, but I overcame it well and brought home a gold medal, so I want to tell myself that he worked really hard."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.