"Don't underestimate Choi Hyeong-woo": The weight even Lee Beom-ho acknowledged, "A great defensive play is 100 times more exciting than a home run"… "Lefty-righty" deployment for Game 3 as well [PO2]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"It's not that player Choi Hyeong-woo is someone who should be so undervalued..."

Manager Park Jin-man (50) responded succinctly to the concerns about Choi Hyeong-woo's (43, Samsung Lions) defensive play that had been raised before the game. And Choi Hyeong-woo answered perfectly not just with error-free defense, but with a double play that doused the KIA Tigers' momentum.

Choi Hyeong-woo started as the fifth batter and left fielder in Game 2 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason Playoffs (best-of-five) against the KIA Tigers on the 27th at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, delivering a powerful performance with two hits in three at-bats (including one home run), one walk, two RBIs, and one run scored.

Injured Goo Ja-wook took the designated hitter spot, pushing Choi Hyung-woo to the bench for Game 1. This was because concerns over defensive stability made it difficult to deploy him in the outfield. Although he had been prepared as a pinch-hitter option and was held back to be used at a decisive moment, he ultimately went unused as the team accepted defeat.

The lineup needed strengthening, and Choi Hyeong-woo was the answer. However, defensive instability had to be accepted. Manager Park Jin-man said before the game, "Yesterday's batting lineup looked powerless. I believe he is an experienced player with the ability to change the momentum of the game, so I put him in the LINEUP to maximize our offensive power." He added, "He has prepared well and has a lot of experience. Huardo is also a pitcher who induces many ground balls, so we prioritized maximizing our offense by selecting him."

Choi Hyeong-woo, who cleanly handled a left field fly ball in the top of the first inning, produced the team's first hit in the bottom of the second and then drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to add an RBI. Opposing pitchers could not help but feel the pressure from the weight of the lineup, which featured Koo Ja-wook, Lewin Diaz, and Choi Hyeong-woo.

The defense in the top of the sixth inning proved decisive. With two outs, Harold Castro hit a powerful ball that struck the left field fence directly and ran to second base as if determined to advance. However, after making a clean play at the fence, Choi Hyeong-woo threw an accurate throw to second base. The result was an out, quelling KIA's pursuit and ending the inning right there.

The Samsung Lions Park was filled with cheers, and the atmosphere in the dugout also heated up. Ryu Ji-hyuk even handed a ball to Choi Hyeong-woo as he returned to the dugout. Choi Hyeong-woo hit the cap of Ryu Ji-hyuk, who was teasing him, looking embarrassed.

He allowed one run in the top of the seventh inning, but Choi Hyung-woo hit a high slider from Kim Bum-soo over the right-field fence for a go-ahead solo home run.

After the game, Manager Park Jin-man said, "Choi Hyeong-woo's outstanding defensive play became a clear turning point that lifted the team's overall atmosphere." He added, "He made great defensive plays, but he still needs to go out (in Game 3). The bench erupted just from catching one pop fly, so it can boost the momentum. I think Hyeong-woo should be in there."

KIA, which knows Choe Hyeong-woo better than anyone else, had a strategy to focus its attacks on Choe, who was playing left field. KIA manager Lee Beom-ho said, "When there was a runner on second base, we intended to hit more aggressively toward Choe's side. Because the wind was blowing strongly in the early innings, when batted balls went toward Choe, we told our players to be more aggressive with their base running, but not many such hits occurred." He added, "In the case of Castro's hit, the fence play was executed very well, and the throw came accurately to second base, so it seems the timing for the out was right. I think Choe will likely start at left field again in the next Game 3, but if we see any weaknesses in that area, we will exploit them."

Choi Hyeong-woo also said, "A great defensive play is 100 times more exciting than a home run. I didn't really have any intention of throwing out the runner. I caught it and threw immediately, but even to me, the throw was unbelievably good, so I think I got lucky with the catch."

The team has been relieved of its concerns regarding the defense of Choi Hyeong-woo, but Choi himself continues to express his struggles. "There is still pressure. It keeps being there. I don't know how to deal with it. Since this is a short series, a single mistake could determine the outcome of the game, so I constantly feel anxious," he said. Regarding his starting appearance in Game 3, he added, "I heard about it, but I think I should call the manager once. It seems like he doesn't realize how big the baseball field is," eliciting laughter.

Despite his outstanding performance, he still complained of discomfort. Choi Hyung-woo stated, "My confidence has dropped, and because I am older, it is not easy to make judgments. In the past, even when I occasionally went out to field a ball, I could catch it to some extent, but now my body wobbles and it is difficult."

That is why the fans' reactions were all the more encouraging. "I am truly grateful to the fans. I caught an easy fly ball in the first inning, and they cheered so loudly. When I ran out to catch a foul ball and came back, they clapped and told me good job. It felt like they were giving me senior citizen privileges. I was very thankful," he said.

Speaking about Ryu Ji-hyuk, who handed over the commemorative ball, he said, “I was trying to hit it hard, but I figured they were probably taking a lot of photos with the camera,” adding, “I was going to curse at them,” which drew laughter.

The weight of his presence at the plate was beyond question. Even opposing manager Lee Beom-ho acknowledged, "There is clearly a difference in how he approaches the game. It felt as though he avoided difficult pitches and only swung at balls he needed to hit." He added, "I believe it reflects the gap between a player with extensive experience and one without. Because Choi Hyeong-woo stands at the core of the lineup alongside Diaz, we must also be mindful of how we pitch to Gu Ja-yuk. Whether or not Choi is in the game will significantly influence our preparations for Game 3."

Choi Hyung-woo continues to set new records for the oldest player in postseason play. At 42 years, 10 months, and 11 days old, Choi surpassed the previous record of 41 years, 8 months, and 13 days set by Lee Ho-jun (NC) on October 21, 2017, during Game 4 of the playoffs against Doosan, to become the oldest player to appear in a postseason game.

The home run in the seventh inning also broke the previous records for the oldest hit and RBI in postseason history, as well as the oldest hit and RBI in playoff history, both previously held by Lee Ho-jun (41 years, 8 months, and 7 days old during the fifth game of the 2017 semi-playoff series at Sajik on October 15, 2017; and 40 years, 8 months, and 17 days old during the fourth game of the 2016 playoff series at Jamsil on October 25, 2016). He has now established himself as the oldest home run hitter in both playoff and postseason history.

Despite this, Choi Hyeong-woo, who emphasized that "such things are meaningless," expressed confidence, stating, "I have no right to complain because I was weak during the regular season, but if I were to make an excuse, I do not think I am specifically weak against KIA just because it is KIA." He added, "In my opinion, my timing was simply off during those periods, and it also coincided with the fact that their two foreign pitchers were pitching well. It is a combination of factors, so I do not consider myself weak against any particular team."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original