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| Pinch hitter Park Byung-ho hits in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game 3 of the playoffs between Hanwha and Samsung at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 21st. Daegu=Reporter Huh Sang-wook's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.10.21/ |
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KBO's first home run king for four consecutive years. The most home run titles ever. Park Byung-ho has announced his retirement from the game. In the end, he took off his uniform without ever winning the trophy.
The Samsung Lions officially announced the retirement of infielder Park Byung-ho with pitcher Lim Chang-min on the 3rd. To some extent, it was a foregone conclusion. Park was scheduled to become a free agent after the end of this season. This is because they have completed the entire FA contract period. However, the Samsung club, which establishes Park Jin-man's second-term system, was holding onto breaking up with Park Byung-ho ahead of next season, and the player has also been agonizing in various ways over his future. And as Park Byung-ho announced his intention to retire, the Samsung club announced his retirement.
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| The Samsung Lions and Kiwoom Heroes match held at Daegu Lions Park on the 25th. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Samsung Diaz hit a timely hit, setting a new record for the most RBIs (147 RBIs) in a single season. Park Byung-ho and Diaz are hugging each other during the defensive shift. Daegu=Park Jae-man Reporter pjm@sportschosun.com /2025.09.25/ |
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Park Byung-ho has been loved a lot for 20 years in professional baseball. Thank you to all the coaches and coaches who have coached me so far, and I was so happy with my colleagues who were able to be with me. I've moved around several teams, but I don't think I'll forget many fans who have always shown love. Thank you so much"He expressed his feelings about retirement through the club.
He was the most dramatic home run king in KBO league history. He has been known as a `Monster High School Batter' since he was a student at Seongnam High School, and received the LG Twins' first local nomination in 2005. The attention paid to the first designated hitter with the 'all-time' talent was enormous. After completing his military service in Sangmu, he continued his long career as a prospect even after returning. And life completely changed when it was traded to the Heroes in the 2011 season.
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| Samsung Park Byung-ho hits a game between Lotte and Samsung at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 16th. Daegu=Reporter Huh Sang-wook's wook@sportschosun.com/2025.09.16/ |
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Park Byung-ho, who hit 31 home runs in his second season of trade in 2012, became the first home run king tight, and has become a leading hitter in the league with 37 home runs in the 2013 season and 52 in the 2014 season. Following the 2014 season, he surpassed 50 home runs for two consecutive years with 53 home runs in the 2015 season, and advanced to the Major League through the posting system.
In the 2012-2015 season, Park Byung-ho broke various records related to home runs and RBIs, including 20 home runs for nine consecutive years and 100 RBIs for the first five consecutive years. Five individuals in the 2019 season after returning from a major league competition? He won the home run king. After the contract with the Heroes ended at the end of the 2021 season, KT Wiz, who wanted a strong first baseman, signed an FA contract and recruited Park Byung-ho. And he won his sixth home run king with 35 home runs in the 2022 season.
During the 2024 season, he transferred to Samsung through a trade, and there were many twists and turns in the second half of his career. This season, he played only 77 games due to injuries and sluggishness, and announced his retirement from active duty with a career batting average of 272-1554 hits-418 home runs-1244 RBIs.
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| Samsung's Park Byung-ho hits a solo home run and runs around the base in the bottom of the seventh inning of the third game of the Korean Series between KIA and Samsung at Daegu Samsung Lions Park on the 25th. Daegu = Reporter Heo Sang-wook wook@sportschosun.com /2024.10.25/ |
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The eternal home run king, who was characterized by a different type of complete slugger-type batter from the best home run hitters of all time such as Lee Seung-yeop and Choi Jeong. However, he failed to win until the end.
Park Byung-ho, who had no connection to winning the championship. Not only was he not the main player when he played for LG, but LG was having a long dark age, and in the Heroes, he and his team were in their prime, but they missed it by a small margin. In 2014, when the main players such as Park Byung-ho, Kang Jung-ho and Seo Geon-chang rose, the Heroes, led by then head coach Yeom Kyung-yeop, beat the playoffs after finishing second in the regular season unfortunately to reach the Korean Series, but lost to Samsung with 1-4.
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| Park Byung-ho when he was growing up. Sports Chosun DB |
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In 2019, the Heroes advanced to the Korean Series again, but collapsed with four consecutive losses to the then-strong Doosan, and in 2023 they finished second again in the third Korean Series, where they became a member of KT. And he, who played in the Korean Series again at Samsung last year, lost to the KIA Tigers and finished second for the fourth time.
In addition, this year, in its last season as an active player, Samsung showed its strength to rise from the wild card game to the playoffs, but it was frustrated on the final path to the Korean Series. Park Byung-ho's fall baseball was also the last playoff against the Hanwha Eagles. He always had a desire to win, but unfortunately, he ended up with a career of 'no relation'.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
