The catcher who received Ryu Hyun-jin and Kim Kwang-hyun's ball should have caught it faster…It's so sad.
Jul 26, 2025
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Hanwha Eagles Ryu Hyun-jin and SSG Landers Kim Kwang-hyun will face off for the first time since their professional debut. The two teams announced Ryu Hyun-jin and Kim Kwang-hyun as starting pitchers in the game to be held at Hanwha Life Ball Park in Daejeon on the 26th, respectively. It will be their first face-to-face match since their professional debut.
Ryu Hyun-jin, who was born in 1987, joined Hanwha in the second round of the first round in 2006, and pitched 201 ⅔ innings in his debut season, achieving a triple crown with 18 wins and an ERA of 2.23. That year, he won the Rookie of the Year and the regular season MVP. Since then, Hanwha has played the role of an indomitable ace even when it was in the dark with low-ranking performances, and has also been listed as the first case in history to go straight from the KBO league to the Major League.
He, who recorded 78 wins, 48 losses, one save, and an ERA of 3.27 in 186 games over 10 years in the Major League, wrapped up his challenge at the end of the 2023 season and made a comeback to his former team Hanwha.
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Both also made a mark for the national team. In particular, Ryu Hyun-jin and Kim Kwang-hyun were the key one-two punches on the mound during the 2008 Beijing Olympics victory gold medal. Ryu Hyun-jin, who pitched for the gold medal as the starting pitcher for the final, and Kim Kwang-hyun, who was called the 'Japanese killer'. Since then, the two have continued to show their presence as left-handers for the national team. In the past, there was a chance to face off as a starter once in 2010, but it was canceled due to the rain delay. Now, he has passed his peak and has become a veteran pitcher in his mid-to-late 30s, but his first face-off has finally been made.
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Lee Jae-won, who met with reporters before the game on the 26th, said "I wish I had done it sooner, but I think it was too late. If I had done it in my heyday, I could have hit Hyunjin's cheek while receiving Kwanghyun's ball. I feel sorry that the match was held too late. I think I would have competed more strongly if I had done it when I was younger." It is a sincere regret that can be done because they are so close.
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Many times "It's a pity that the confrontation took place too late."Lee Jae-won, who said "I hope we can enjoy each other a little more now. It's a game that fans also focus on, and I think it's important for Korean baseball itself to become a bigger issue while enjoying it. I'm thinking well about it (in terms of issues)," he smiled.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.