The 'shocking upset' is not the end for KT; Samsung and Doosan also avenged their losses in the very next year

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Three days have passed since the curtain fell on the Korea Series, but the shock felt by KT Wiz and its fans has not yet faded.

The defeat was all the more unexpected because it defied expectations. KT had secured first place in the regular season with 90 wins—the fourth-highest total in KBO League history—finishing eight games ahead of second-place Samsung Lions. Moreover, as Samsung had engaged KIA Tigers in a grueling five-game playoff battle, many predicted that KT would claim an easy victory in the Korea Series.

The result was a win in Game 1 followed by four consecutive losses. This marked the sixth instance (15.8%) since the adoption of the single-season format in 1989 where the top regular-season team lost the championship to a lower-ranked opponent, an event commonly referred to as an 'upset.'

However, it is premature for KT to be disheartened. Of the five previous instances where a team allowed an upset championship loss, two teams shook off the pain and resolved their frustration by winning the title in the very next year.

In particular, since the 2000s, this has happened twice out of three times. Samsung, which lost to third-place Doosan Bears with a record of two wins and four losses in the 2001 Korea Series, went on to finish first in the regular season the following year, 2002, and captured their first-ever Korea Series championship since their founding.

In 2018, Doosan tied the all-time record for most wins in a single regular season with 93 victories, yet still ceded the championship to SK Wyverns (now SSG Landers) with a two-win, four-loss record in the Korea Series. However, in the following year, 2019, Doosan again claimed first place in the regular season and ascended to the championship by sweeping Kiwoom Heroes in four straight games in the Korea Series.

Following the loss in the Korea Series, KT players each posted messages on social media to convey their apologies to fans. Go Yeong-pyo stated, "I feel only deep regret for having hurt the hearts of our fans," while Ahn Hyun-min said, "My skills were lacking, and I feel a corresponding sense of disappointment and responsibility."

Nevertheless, they vowed to return as true powerhouses in the next season. Go Yeong-pyo promised, "We will come back with better performance next year"; Ahn Hyun-min added, "I will do my best so that only beauty remains next year"; Choi Won-jun declared, "I will never take for granted the cheers you gave us from the stands and the support and trust you showed until the very end. I will prepare even more fiercely and return in a strong form"; and So Hyoung-jun stated, "I will not lightly dismiss the disappointment of fans who were let down by my performance."

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original