[Official] First title in 23 years → Immediately debuts as commentator for Korea-Japan match! Kang Min-ho, who shed tears profusely, now picks up the microphone... Korean national team challenges for revenge at Tokyo Dome in APBC

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Kang Min-ho (41, Samsung Lions), who shed tears at his first Korea Series championship after waiting 23 years, is now picking up the microphone. The veteran catcher, who played through a rib injury to finally relieve the frustration of not winning, will serve as a special commentator for the Korean national team's match against Japan.

Sports channel SPOTV announced, "Kang Min-ho will participate as a special commentator for the 2026 Asia Pro Baseball Championship (APBC) match between Korea and Japan to be held at Tokyo Dome in Japan at 7 p.m. on the 13th."

Kang Min-ho will handle the broadcast alongside caster Kim Min-su and commentator Oh Jae-il (40). Based on the experience he accumulated as an active catcher, he is expected to explain pitcher leading, the mental battle with batters, and the flow of the game.

Until just three days ago, Kang Min-ho was wearing a catcher's mask for the Korea Series championship. Samsung defeated KT Wiz 12-1 in Game 5 of the 2026 Shinhan SOL KBO Korea Series held at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 8th. After losing Game 1, they won four consecutive games to secure the championship with a series record of 4 wins and 1 loss. It was their return to the top after 12 years since 2014.

The player who faced the most emotional moment was Kang Min-ho. He debuted in the pros with the Lotte Giants in 2004, played for Lotte until 2017, and transferred to Samsung in 2018. Although he holds the record for the most games played in KBO League history, the veteran had a particularly lackluster connection with Korea Series championships. In 2024, he stepped onto the Korea Series stage for the first time in his 21st year of debut, but finished as runner-up after losing to the KIA Tigers 1-4.

This year was different. Samsung advanced directly to the playoffs as the second-place team in the regular season, defeating KIA 3-2, and then toppled KT, who finished first in the regular season, in the Korea Series. Kang Min-ho hugged his teammates and poured out the tears he had held back at the moment the championship was secured. After the game, he revealed his overflowing emotions, saying, "I'm really not far from retirement, so it feels great that I can put on a ring after 23 years. It makes me think that such a day could actually come in my life."

The injury heroism revealed later was even more surprising. Kang Min-ho suffered an injury while practicing batting before Game 3 of the playoffs against KIA. He confessed, "I had a hairline fracture in my rib and torn muscle with blood pooling." He added, "Even though I was in pain, I could still throw, so I thought I would just do my best to the extent I could. It paid off that I endured well and played."

Having enjoyed the joy of his first career championship, Kang Min-ho will now watch his juniors' Korea-Japan match from the broadcast booth. The Korean national team also has a task to solve against Japan.

The APBC is an international tournament featuring young players from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Australia. It began in 2017 and is entering its third edition this year. Korea reached the finals in both previous tournaments but lost to Japan, finishing as runner-up. In particular, in the 2023 final, they fought a close match against Japan until the 10th inning of extra time but lost 3-4. This tournament, they will challenge for their first-ever championship and revenge against Japan.

The national team is led by Manager Choi Won-ho (53). It was composed primarily of young players in preparation for the 2027 Premier12 and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The lineup features Kim Do-young (23, KIA), Ahn Hyun-min (23, KT), Kim Ju-won (24, NC), and others. Kim Do-young is wearing the national team badge again following his participation in the 2023 tournament, while Ahn Hyun-min steps onto the international stage after putting aside the regret of finishing as runner-up in the Korea Series.

Joining Manager Choi Won-ho's coaching staff are Head Coach and Defensive Coach Cho Seong-hwan, Pitching Coach Park Jeong-jin, Hitting Coach Jung Kyung-bae, Bullpen Coach Kwon O-joon, Battery Coach Choi Ki-moon, and Strategy/Third Base Coach Kim Jae-geol. Lee Dae-hyung (43), who has served as a SPOTV commentator, will wear the national team uniform this time instead of sitting in the commentary booth. He is taking on his first role as a national team coach as Quality Control (QC) and First Base Coach.

Korea will begin with a match against Australia on the 12th, followed by Japan on the 13th and Taiwan on the 14th. The top two teams in the round-robin league will compete for the championship in the final on the 15th. The Korea-Japan match on the 13th, in which Kang Min-ho will participate as a special commentator, will be broadcast live on SPOTV at 7 p.m. All tournament games can be viewed through TV channels such as KBSN Sports, MBC Sports Plus, SBS Sports, and SPOTV, as well as via Tving.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original