“Unbelievable”: Diaz Ties PO Career Record with Five Errors, Shouldering to Shoulder with GM Lee Jong-yeol → Park Jin-man: “It Will Be Different in the KS”

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

An astonishing record emerged from Daegu, leaving one unsure whether to laugh or wipe away cold sweat. Samsung Lions foreign hitter Lewin Diaz (30) committed a painful fielding error on the fall baseball stage, tying the all-time Playoffs (PO) record for most career errors. However, the individual whose name sits side by side with this ignominious record is none other than Samsung Lions GM Lee Jong-yeol (53).

On the 1st, Diaz started as the No. 4 hitter and first baseman in Game 5 of the PO against the KIA Tigers at Daegu Samsung Lions Park during the “2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Postseason.”

The incident occurred during the top of the third inning defense. Diaz reached out his glove toward a ground ball hit by leadoff batter Ha Ju-seok. It seemed he had fielded the ball well, but during the catch, the ball struck the edge of the glove and popped loose. Flustered, Diaz quickly retrieved the ball and threw it to starting pitcher Horada, who was covering first base, but Ha Ju-seok’s sprinting legs were faster. The official record was an error by the first baseman on a fielded ball.

With this single error, the atmosphere at Lions Park strangely froze. It was the moment Diaz’s third error in this series and his fifth career PO error were recorded. Following one error each in 2024 and 2025, Diaz committed three errors in this season’s PO alone, ultimately bearing the ignominy of tying the all-time PO record for most career errors.

The more dramatic twist was the identity of the “previous sole leader.” According to the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the individual who had solely held the record of five career PO errors was none other than current Samsung Lions GM Lee Jong-yeol.

GM Lee, who played all infield positions during his active career, had long been ranked as a co-leader in this category after recording two playoff errors in 1993 and three in 1998 while playing for the LG Twins. The team’s current No. 4 hitter perfectly replicated the GM’s buried dark history from 28 years ago under the Daegu sky of autumn 2026, effectively standing shoulder to shoulder with him.

What saved Diaz, who nearly became a traitor, was his teammates’ focus. Samsung crushed KIA 6-1, leveraging a solid pitching staff and a cohesive lineup, securing a 3-2 series lead and clinching a spot in the Korea Series. Thanks to the team’s victory, Diaz was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

After the game, Samsung Manager Park Jin-man also first soothed Diaz’s shaken mentality. “Player Diaz has immense pride and confidence in his defense,” Park noted. “An error occurred in Gwangju (the away game), and another today, so it seems to be affecting his hitting psychologically.” Nevertheless, he expressed strong trust: “Still, the team navigated this grueling Playoffs well. I believe that when we reach the Korea Series, he will definitely deliver his strengths and the role the team expects of him.”

Diaz, who must have felt a chill down his spine after being forced to stand shoulder to shoulder with the GM’s old record. Now that he has shaken off the nightmare by advancing to the Korea Series, it is quite intriguing whether he can hit a home run to restore his honor on the upcoming Korea Series stage.

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original