'SSG-Only Fall Ball': The Kwang-hyun Team, the Choi Jeong Team, and a Sold-Out Crowd All Enjoyed It... 'Long Straight-Haired Batter' Han Doo-sol Named MVP; Go Myung-jun's 'Two-Stage Transformation' Wins Excellence Award [Incheon On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

A special fall ball unfolded at Incheon SSG Landers Field, where 23,000 seats were filled entirely by home fans. Although the postseason became a celebration for others, SSG beautifully concluded its season while looking forward to next year.

On the 17th, SSG held '2026 Landers Special Match - Choi Kwang Baseball 1429' at Incheon SSG Landers Field.

With all 23,000 seats sold out as soon as ticket sales opened, the event provided fans with a rich spectacle through an exciting game featuring swapped pitching and batting roles, along with the players' dazzling performances.

Following last year's 'Island Kon Match,' this event match entered its third year, with the core being 'players' voluntary participation.' In particular, franchise star Choi Jeong, who ended his season early due to an injury requiring surgery this year, and Kim Kwang-hyun took on the roles of managers, actively preparing for the game.

Although it was an event match, the players prepared more diligently than ever. The Kwang-hyun Team gathered for training on the 15th, while the Choi Jeong Team did so on the 16th, breaking a sweat to adapt to unfamiliar roles.

Performances based on empathy with fans unfolded throughout the game. Shin Bum-soo, often cited as looking like Kang Ho-dong, added an idol group ATEEZ 'BAD' dance challenge to his 'Hing-nim-ah' makeup, driven by his own strong appeal. Go Myung-jun, who received a performance award last year for his overwhelming 'Ppuk-puki' makeup in the 'Island Kon Match,' transformed into a character called 'Buri-buri Water Rice King' inspired by Crayon Shin-chan's Great Demon King Buri-buri, and then transformed back into Ppuk-puki during cleaning time, bringing laughter to the fans.

However, no one could surpass Han Doo-sol. Last year, Han Doo-sol appeared wearing a short bob wig, but this time he debuted with a long straight-hair wig and hit a single in the top of the first inning. After an incredible sprint as left fielder in the bottom of the first inning, Han Doo-sol caught a difficult ball and roared, prompting cheers from the stands.

Han Doo-sol, who stood out most from the early stages of the game, winked with playful expressions whenever he was captured on camera, his long straight hair fluttering. Following last year's home run, he swung fiercely again this year, going 3-for-3 at bat, and even drew an automatic intentional walk in the fourth inning, proving once more that he is a difficult batter.

There were many eye-catching scenes in the game as well. In the bottom of the second inning, Coach Kim Seong-hyun, who had already completed his retirement ceremony, came to bat as a special pinch hitter for the Choi Jeong Team. Pedro Avila, who recently signed a two-year contract with the club, appeared as a surprise pinch hitter in the bottom of the second inning. It was the moment when the loudest cheers echoed at Incheon SSG Landers Field that day. Jung Jun-jae, who suffered an injury, could not play but transformed into a squirrel and served as a reporter to soothe the fans' disappointment.

A scene unique to event matches also unfolded. With no outs and a runner on first base in the bottom of the third inning, Manager Kim Kwang-hyun's divine move hit the mark when Jeon Young-jun hit a foul home run. On this day, video review was determined by arbitrarily selecting an option rather than judging based on the broadcast screen. Even with his eyes closed, Kim Kwang-hyun chose 'overturn the call,' and the ball became a home run.

Noh Kyung-eun pushed the umpire's belly to protest, and Manager Choi Jeong came out onto Ground to protest. Eventually, they went back to video review, but this time the umpire was allowed to re-select the call. However, the original decision was upheld, resulting in a home run.

Choi Jeong also requested video review when Jang Ji-hoon hit a large foul home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. However, all video review cards had already been used. Manager Kim Kwang-hyun, who had previously secured a lingering two-run home run through video review, came out and specially requested one more opportunity. But cruelly, Choi Jeong's finger pointed to 'uphold the original decision,' and he headed back to the dugout with a helpless laugh.

With batters transformed into pitchers and pitchers transformed into batters performing beyond expectations, the game remained intense until the end. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Jeon Ui-san, who transformed into closer Ma-in Bu-u for the Kwang-hyun Team, took the mound and pitched a scoreless inning, concluding the game with an 8-6 victory for the Kwang-hyun Team.

The honor of Choi U (수상) went to Han Doo-sol. He received a hotel stay voucher worth 700,000 won and a 10 thousand won W Concept gift certificate.

Go Myung-jun, who took responsibility for one inning with one hit allowed, one strikeout, and one run allowed based on his flashy performance and sharply breaking sweeper, and Park Sung-han, who started for the Choi Jeong Team and pitched two scoreless innings with one hit allowed and one strikeout, won the Excellence Award. They received a hotel stay voucher worth 350,000 won and a 10 thousand won W Concept gift certificate. Jeon Young-jun and Moon Seung-won received the Effort Award, while Lee Ro-yoon was selected for Crazy Play.

Since it was an event for fans from start to finish, there was much more to enjoy than usual. This year, to meet the heightened expectations of fans, the scale and quality of the event were further elevated. The pre-game draft was broadcast live in front of 15,000 spectators, and SPOTV scheduled a broadcast so that more fans could enjoy the game.

Furthermore, actively reflecting the needs of fans who wanted to commemorate the special game, the lineup of special MD (goods) was significantly expanded. Special uniforms produced in versions for the Choi Jeong Team (white) and the Kim Kwang-hyun Team (red), utilizing each team's symbolic colors, featured patches depicting the two players' jersey numbers and signature batting/pitching forms to enhance their collectible value. In addition, various commemorative items such as acrylic keychains, bandanas, and commemorative balls were introduced, further enriching the fans' experience.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original