Park Sung-han, "This time, I'll focus on breaking balls" vs. Choi Ji-hoon, "Kim Gun-woo and Choi Min-jun are manageable": Starting pitcher matchup... Will a home run pitcher emerge this year too? [Incheon On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Yesterday's center line teammates met as opponents today. Park Sung-han (28) and Choi Ji-hoon (29) will face off on the pitcher's mound as starting pitchers.

Park Sung-han and Choi Ji-hoon will take the mound as starting pitchers for Team Kim Kwang-hyun and Team Choi Jung, respectively, in the "2026 Landers Special Match – Choi Kwang Baseball 1429" at Incheon SSG Landers Field from 5:30 p.m. on the 17th.

The club's self-organized event match, now in its third year, has expanded in scale this season. In the first year, it was produced solely as a YouTube video and released later, but last year, spectators were invited and the club provided a live broadcast on its YouTube channel. This year, with a full house of spectators, the game can be enjoyed in various ways through SPOTV and the club's YouTube channel.

Although it is the day of the first game of the postseason Junior Playoffs, the club's own event was more important to SSG fans. Explosive interest poured in, with all seats sold out as soon as ticket reservations opened.

What makes SSG's self-organized event match even more interesting is that batters and pitchers swap roles. It is literally an event game, but the players prepared for the game with more sincerity than anyone else. That sincerity brings even greater enjoyment to the fans.

The managers of both teams selected their rosters through a pre-game draft. They picked Park Sung-han and Choi Ji-hoon, known as the most stable ball throwers, in turn, followed by sequential player selections.

Team Choi Jung fielded a starting lineup of Jang Ji-hoon (shortstop), Moon Seung-won (second baseman), Park Si-hoo (center fielder), Kim Tae-hyung (first baseman), Kim Min (third baseman), Park Jong-hun (right fielder), Ryu Seung-beom (catcher), Choi Yong-jun (designated hitter), and Kim Gun-woo (left fielder). Choi Ji-hoon is the starting pitcher.

Team Kim Kwang-hyun counters with Jo Byung-hyun (first baseman), Choi Min-jun (third baseman), Han Du-sol (left fielder), Jeon Young-jun (second baseman), Lee Ro-un (shortstop), Kim Min-jun (center fielder), Byeon Gun-woo (right fielder), Lee Jun-gi (designated hitter), and Lee Geun-yeong (catcher). Park Sung-han takes the mound as the starting pitcher.

The most anticipated aspect is the starting pitchers of both teams. In particular, Park Sung-han is making his third consecutive start, but last year he allowed a home run to Han Du-sol and other results that did not match his skill level. Jokes even circulated among fans asking if Manager Kim Kwang-hyun was playing "baseball of trust" too excessively. He also drew laughter by commenting on the starting pitcher announcement post on the club's social networking service (SNS) account, saying, "I have everything figured out. Please don't leave negative comments. Trust me. I will report negative comments."

Manager Kim Kwang-hyun, met before the game, showed his confidence by saying, "It is baseball of trust. He will pitch well. There is no other starter besides Seong-han."

Manager Choi Jung said, "(Choi) Ji-hoon has a competitive drive. He insisted on being the starter himself." Kim Kwang-hyun also expressed caution, noting, "Ji-hoon has a speed limit, but if he allows one hit, it seems like he will throw at 140 km/h."

Although the game is designed to provide interesting viewing for fans, avoiding injuries is the top priority. The training staff set a speed limit in preparation for potential injuries.

Park Sung-han also provoked by posting "I won" on the club's SNS post. When met before the game, Park Sung-han said, "I did it to gain the upper hand. I did it so the fans would have fun," but Choi Ji-hoon retorted, "I don't use SNS. It was like kicking at thin air."

Park Sung-han is confident that this time will be different. He said, "I allowed a home run last year, but this year I will take the mound with a slightly different approach," adding, "I think of it as my last chance, but if I pitch well, there will be another opportunity next year," showing his ambition.

He continued, "Last year, I pitched thinking about letting them hit one home run, and they really did. I allowed one for the fans' sake, and it was fun," while revealing his plan: "First of all, you can allow a fastball to be hit. So I am thinking of pitching mainly with breaking balls."

In particular, interesting reactions are pouring in from fans, noting that Park Sung-han, usually known for his humble personality, becomes arrogant when he plays only as a pitcher. Park Sung-han explained the reason by saying, "Since my ability as a pitcher is somewhat lacking, I have a mindset of competing with confidence."

Choi Ji-hoon said, "I haven't allowed a home run before, so I don't really know," adding, "This year there is a speed limit, which is a bit disappointing. I plan to walk Han Du-sol intentionally. Number 1 (Jo Byung-hyun) and Number 2 (Choi Min-jun) seem manageable."

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original