LG suffers shocking comeback loss, but... Moon Jung-bin, who upheld "the fundamentals of baseball," shone

*This content was translated by AI.

"You must act as if the ball is in play until the final ruling is made."

This is a point that coaches and commentators in the baseball world repeatedly emphasize. It means that because umpires' calls on whether a ball is foul or fair, or whether a runner is out or safe, can be delayed or even changed after an initial declaration, players should first execute normal defensive or base-running plays and wait for the final result. Especially in today's era, where video review has been introduced and call reversals are frequent, this is a "fundamental of baseball" that must not be forgotten.

The importance of this principle was confirmed once again in the SSG Landers-LG Twins game held at Incheon SSG Landers Field on September 30.

SSG was trailing 0-3 in the bottom of the 8th inning. With one out, Jung Joon-jae hit a line drive single to right field off opposing pitcher Go Woo-seok. The next batter was Eredia. Go Woo-seok's first pitch struck near Eredia's bat knob and left hand. The ball initially rolled outside the first-base foul line, but then turned fair near the base.

The umpire did not make a precise call on whether it was a pitch that hit the body or one that hit the bat. Because the incident happened in an instant, it appeared difficult to judge with the naked eye.

At this moment, LG first baseman Moon Jung-bin (23) upheld the "fundamentals." He fielded the ball as it entered fair territory, stepped on first base first, and then threw to second base. First-base runner Jung Joon-jae, who headed toward second base late, was tagged by second baseman Koo Bon-hyuk. Eredia remained near home plate due to the impact he received on his hand.

After consulting with each other, umpire Oh Hoon-gyu and first-base umpire Park Ki-taek announced the final ruling. "The ball hit the bat and was fair. Therefore, because a play was made, he stepped on the base first and threw to second for a tag, resulting in a double play."

SSG manager Lee Sung-yong came out of the dugout to protest and inquire with the umpires, but it did not take long. The inning ended as is.

LG suffered a shocking 3-4 walk-off loss on a late-inning collapse by closer Son Ju-young in the bottom of the 9th inning that day. However, Moon Jung-bin's play, which did not forget the "fundamentals," shone brightly and was worthy of praise.

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

*This content was translated by AI.