Choi Jeong’s 468th home run explodes, surpassing Lee Seung-yeop as the ‘new home run king’… Sajik’s historic home run against Lee In-bok against Lotte

[미디어펜=석명 기자] Jeong Choi (SSG Landers) has finally become the ‘New Home Run King’ of the KBO League. He hit his 468th career home run, which no one has hit in the KBO league so far.

Choi Jeong-eun started as SSG’s third hitter and third baseman in the away game against the Lotte Giants in the 2024 KBO League held at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 24th.

Choi Jeong’s bat was quiet until the second at-bat. Against Lotte starting pitcher Lee In-bok, he retired with a fly to shortstop in the top of the first inning and a fly to left field in the top of the third.

The home run came in the third at-bat. In the top of the 5th inning, when SSG was trailing 4-7, Choi Jeong came to the plate with no runners on base and 2 outs, and met Lee In-bok again, who had been guarding the mound. Choi Jeong-eun pulled Lee In-bok’s first pitch slider (125 km/h) into the center with all his might. The batted ball flew 110 meters and passed over the left wall of Sajik Stadium.

It was Choi Jeong’s 10th home run of the season and the 468th home run of his personal career. With this, Choi Jeong-eun surpassed Lee Seung-yeop’s (current Doosan Bears coach) total of 467 home runs and rose to first place in history. It was a monumental moment when Choi Jeong won the new title of ‘All-time Home Run King’.

Choi Jeong-eun, who made his professional debut with the SK Wyverns (formerly SSG Landers) in 2005, only hit one home run as a rookie. However, starting with 12 home runs in 2006, he has hit double-digit home runs without a single break for 19 years until this year, establishing himself as the league’s leading home run hitter. And on this day, he finally set a new record for the most home runs.

Choi Jeong, who is still showing off his power as a slugger at the age of 37, will rewrite the history of home runs in the KBO League every time he hits a home run.

[미디어펜=석명 기자]