Will 3,000 hits really be possible in the new history of KBO at the age of 42, or will 2,500 hits prelude the legend of the milestone

May 24, 2025

Will 3,000 hits really be possible in the new history of KBO at the age of 42, or will 2,500 hits prelude the legend of the milestone
KBO League match between Samsung and KIA at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 23rd. KIA Choi Hyung-woo is greeting Samsung players. Daegu=Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2025.05.23/



Will 3,000 hits really be possible in the new history of KBO at the age of 42, or will 2,500 hits prelude the legend of the milestone
KIA-KT match held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 21st. KIA Choi Hyung-woo is training before the game. Suwon = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.5.21/
"In the future, not 2,500 hits, but I think we can hit 2700-2800 hits." If you do it again, you'll talk about 3,000 hits."

KIA Tigers manager Lee Bum-ho talked about veteran Choi Hyung-woo (42), who is about to achieve a milestone ahead of the match against the Samsung Lions in Daegu on the 24th. Choi Hyung-woo currently has a career-high 2,496 hits. If he makes four more hits, he will be the hero of the third 2,500-hit milestone in KBO history.

Park Yong-taek (currently retired) of the LG Twins was the first player to achieve 2,500 hits in the KBO League history. Park Yong-taek had his 2500th hit against Samsung in Jamsil on Oct. 6, 2020. It was only 2222 games since his debut, and he was 41 years, 5 months and 15 days old at the time of his achievement.




The second in history is Son Ah-seop of the NC Dinos. On June 15 last year, he exceeded 2,500 hits in the match against Samsung in Changwon. At that time, he was 36 years, 2 months, and 28 days, only 2040 games since his debut.

Choi Hyung-woo hit 0.340 (54 hits in 159 times at bat) this season, hit eight home runs, 32 RBIs, and 1.046 hard hits in the OPS, and still does not miss KIA's title as the No. 4 hitter. Even when the main hitters such as Na Sung-bum, Patrick Wisdom, and Kim Do-young had a hard time due to injuries and sluggishness, Choi Hyung-woo silently maintained his position and led the KIA lineup. This is why the record for the oldest 2,500 hits in history is on the horizon.

The director is "That's great." I don't think there's much difference between the (Choi) brother I saw in my 20s and the brother-in-law I'm seeing in my early 40s. Not only the personality but also the body care. If you continue to be good, good records will continue to accumulate in Korea in the future. I'm worried because I'm running too much. I'm afraid I'll get hurt because I'm old. I'm a little worried about that. "I keep saying 弧斂渼鳴, but the team is a little difficult, so I'm a little worried because I'm still saying it's okay."




If Choi Hyung-woo plays as healthy as he is now, he will be able to play easily until he achieves 3,000 hits. Choi Hyung-woo will be eligible for FA again at the end of this season, and a contract of at least two years can be expected.

Will 3,000 hits really be possible in the new history of KBO at the age of 42, or will 2,500 hits prelude the legend of the milestone
KIA-KT match held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 21st. In the top of the fifth inning, Choi Hyung-woo hits a double with one out and a runner on first base. Suwon = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.5.21/
Will 3,000 hits really be possible in the new history of KBO at the age of 42, or will 2,500 hits prelude the legend of the milestone
KIA-KT match held at KT Wiz Park in Suwon on the 21st. In the top of the fifth inning, Choi Hyung-woo hits a double with one out and a runner on first base. Suwon = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2025.5.21/
Son Ah-seop, who holds the record for the most hits in KBO history, has 2,557 hits as of the 24th. No. 2 Park Yong-taek has 2504 hits, followed by Choi Hyung-woo. There is not much time left to go beyond Park Yong-taek to become the second place with the most hits ever. The 3,000 hit is a high point that no one has stepped on in the KBO League yet.

Choi Hyung-woo, who made his debut on October 14, 2002, recorded his first hit against the Sajik Lotte Giants on October 18, 2002. Since then, he has recorded 106 hits in 126 games in the 2008 season, and has started to build a hit record in earnest. He recorded triple-digit hits for 13 consecutive seasons from 2008 to 2020, and in particular, he won the KBO hit award in 2016 with 195 hits, the most in a single season.




Choi Hyung-woo recorded more than 100 hits in all but one season from the 2008 season when he began to play in the KBO League in earnest. During this period, he showed off his steady ability to average about 144 hits per season. If he has more than 100 hits this season, he will achieve triple-digit hits in a total of 17 seasons.

Director Lee said, `Maybe when I wake up, I'll get sick somewhere. Because I used my body a lot. But in the case of Hyungwoo, he came to the professional army at the age of 20 and started to use his body at the age of 26. I also think that I have not yet spent the quota I have. I've been playing full for 20 years, but I think the secret to maintaining it now is that I've been in the military for the next five to six years. If we manage our physical strength well, I think we can make it a season where we perform well enough for a few years. I will continue to help you with things that you can help me with."

Will 3,000 hits really be possible in the new history of KBO at the age of 42, or will 2,500 hits prelude the legend of the milestone
KIA Choi Hyung-woo hits a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning in the first game of a doubleheader between Doosan and KIA at Gwangju KIA Champions Field on the 17th. Gwangju = Reporter's book@sportschosun.com/2025.05.17/




This article was translated by Naver AI translator.