KBS News

[앵커]

SSG Choi Jeong is the protagonist of a new professional baseball home run record, his 468th home run.

He is called a ‘hard-working genius’ and ‘the epitome of consistency.’

From 2006 to this year, he has recorded double-digit home runs for 19 consecutive years.

This is a first in professional baseball history.

He hit more than 10 home runs in 2014 and 2015 when he could not play 100 games due to injury, and he grew into a slugger who hit 20 home runs or more for eight consecutive years until last year, starting with 40 home runs in 2016 after overcoming the injury.

In Major League Baseball, home run king Barry Bonds ranked first with 706-two, and in Japanese professional baseball, Sadaharu Oh ranked first with 806-8, and Choi Jeong, who is still in his prime, is expected to ‘achieve 500 career home runs’ next season.

This is reporter Kang Jae-hoon’s report.

[리포트]

The driving force behind Choi Jeong’s new career home run record is his consistency in overcoming injuries.

On the 17th, Choi Jeong was struck in the rib area by an opposing pitcher’s fast ball.

[“엇! 몸에 맞습니다. 150km 빠른 공인데.”]

Because he did not shy away from competition, he became the first player in the world to hit the 330th dead ball.

However, he returned to the starting lineup six days later, and the next day he hit a career-high home run to show off.

Choi Jeong, who became the first player in history to hit double-digit home runs for 19 consecutive years, surpassed Lee Seung-yeop as the national hitter.

It is difficult to directly compare Doosan coach Lee Seung-yeop to a gap in which he played for eight seasons in Japanese professional baseball, but it is significant that he surpassed coach Lee Seung-yeop, who hit the most home runs in a season, which caused the Dragonfly Syndrome.

The baseball fan who willingly donated the historic 468th home run ball also received benefits worth 15 million won, including season tickets.

This fan, who picked up a few tissues while entering the baseball stadium to bring good luck like superstar Shohei Ohtani, was envious of Choi Jeong.

[최정/SSG : “구단에서 혜택 같은 것도 크게 해주신 덕분에 흔쾌히 기증해주신 것 같은데, 그 혜택 잘 누렸으면 좋겠습니다. 부럽습니다.”]

Choi Jeong, who challenges new records every day, is now aiming for his 500th home run.

Last year, Choi Jeong went over the fence 29 times and competed with Hanwha’s young slugger Noh Si-hwan for the title of home run king.

He has already hit 10 home runs this year, so he will easily reach 500 home runs next year.

There is another reason to watch professional baseball to see how far 37-year-old veteran Choi Jeong, who is in his ‘second prime’, will continue to set a new record.

This is KBS News Kang Jae-hoon.

Video Editing: Lee Sang-cheol