Choi Hyeong-woo’s “insane” luck at the home stadium → Delivers “first championship” to Koo Ja-wook and Kang Min-ho in just one year! “My body was on the verge of collapse, but this time it truly moved me” [Samsung V9]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

“Until now, winning just felt good and I thought everyone had done well, but this time it truly moved me.”

The seasoned reputation of the “championship closer” and the “luck of the home stadium” did not lie. Samsung Lions veteran outfielder Choi Hyeong-woo (43) placed the long-awaited first Korea Series (KS) championship ring in his life on the hands of captain Koo Ja-wook (33) and “veteran catcher” Kang Min-ho (41), just one year after returning to his former team.

On the 8th, at Daegu Samsung Lions Park, Samsung defeated the KT Wiz in Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Korea Series to achieve a combined championship for the first time in 12 years since 2014, with a series record of four wins and one loss. After the championship was clinched, Choi Hyeong-woo, whom we met in the dugout, had no part of his body that was not injured, but he could not hide the deep lingering emotion behind his bright smile.

For Choi Hyeong-woo, who had lifted the Korea Series championship trophy for exactly the seventh time in his career, this ascent to the top was particularly special. Choi Hyeong-woo said, “This championship seems to have had a lot of story,” adding, “I returned to Ra Park after a long time and clinched the championship at home for the first time. Everyone expected us to lose, and we had too many injured players. Honestly, it felt like nine players were fighting against five because everyone was hurt, but the fact that we overcame all of that and stood on top is itself a great source of emotion,” sharing his overflowing feelings.

He pointed to the “Game 2 victory” held in Suwon as the decisive turning point for the championship. Choi Hyeong-woo reflected, saying, “In Game 2, it almost went into a flow where both sides were ‘letting each other win,’ but when we won at the end, I thought all of the opponent’s momentum would drain away. From Game 3, as I saw the opponent’s batting form decline, I felt that ‘the advantage has now come to us.’”

When asked for his self-assessment of this season’s performance, Choi Hyeong-woo laughed and said, “I don’t think I used to give myself a perfect score often, but this time I feel it deserves a 100.” This is because, at an age well past 40, he not only played a full-time schedule but also took on left field defense in a total of 10 postseason games, including five playoff games and five Korea Series games, amidst the misfortune of consecutive injuries within the team.

Choi Hyeong-woo joked to reporters, “I’m this age and I played a full year, so please write an article strongly about my defensive contributions so the club will give me at least a bonus,” while also conveying the fighting spirit befitting the eldest brother by saying, “In fact, everything from my pelvis to my lower back and neck hurts. My whole body was on the verge of collapse to the point where I would need to stay in the rehabilitation center for a month, but I thought that if I did what I could do, the younger players below me would see it and follow.”

Regarding Manager Park Jin-man’s “defensive deployment,” who had been a “close senior,” Choi Hyeong-woo added, “Fortunately, every time I went out to defense, difficult hits didn’t come; only easy hits came. By sending me to the outfield, (Koo) Ja-wook could also play as the designated hitter, and since everyone dedicated themselves in their positions, I am just grateful to the manager.”

He also revealed an anecdote that Kang Min-ho had conveyed before the game. Choi Hyeong-woo said with a hearty laugh, “(Yang) Yi-ji told me that Kang Min-ho had contacted him. Since Min-ho was desperately hoping for just one more win, I reassured him by saying, ‘That team has the Golden Pig (Choi Hyeong-woo), so don’t worry.’”

Finally, Choi Hyeong-woo asked to convey a message to the Samsung fans who had warmly welcomed him: “When I first came back, you gave me so much welcome that I wanted to gift you a championship somehow. Even though I am an ‘old man’ of advanced age, I had confidence. I am truly happy to be able to show you a championship at this late stage of my (playing) career. It feels like all the sweat and effort I have poured out until now are being rewarded.”

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original