It was a text message from his mother that woke up KT outfielder Choi Byeong-dae, 28, who was struggling early this season.
Choi was batting ninth and playing center field in the second game of a midweek three-game series against Doosan in the 2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League at Jamsil Stadium in Seoul on Saturday. He went 1-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, two RBIs, and one run scored in the team’s 5-2 win.
With the score 2-0 in the top of the second inning, Choi hit her first home run of the season. He took a 145-kilometer-per-hour fastball from opposing starter Kim Dong-joo on the third pitch of the at-bat and smashed it over the left field fence for a two-run homer with a distance of 120 meters.
“When I hit, my upper body goes first, so today I trained to use my lower body, and I think that part of me unconsciously came out in the game,” said Choi after the game. “It feels good to have a good result, and I’m very happy to have hit my first two-run home run of the season.”
It was his first home run of the season and his first since October 5 last year against Samsung Electronics. “I’m not a home run hitter, so I don’t think much about hitting a home run for the first time in a long time,” he smiled, “but I want to give meaning to the fact that I contributed to the team’s victory.”
He also made some impressive plays on defense. In particular, he sprinted to catch Kang Seung-ho’s long fly ball from second base in the seventh inning, drawing applause from his teammates.
“It’s the best catch I’ve made in a long time,” he said. “I don’t usually chase batted balls,” he said, “but I think I was able to catch Kang Seung-ho’s batted ball because I didn’t look at it, and I caught it at the point of impact.
Son Dong-hyun, who was on the mound at the time, was not particularly grateful to the pitching staff for their efforts to prevent the run. “Just like a pitcher’s job is to throw the ball on the mound, I have to do a good job in the field and at the plate,” he laughed, “and I think the team can win if each of us does a good job.”
For the past three consecutive seasons, Bae has shown a strong body that doesn’t get injured easily and a hardworking attitude. This season, however, he suffered a fractured finger after being hit by a pitch in an exhibition game, and hasn’t played since early June, more than two months after opening day.
“I used to be a big motivator for myself to play, and I felt like that was gone this season,” he said. “It was a record that was going to be broken anyway, but I think I struggled a lot in the beginning of the season,” he said.
He credits his mother’s heartfelt support for getting him through the tough times. “My mom would text me whenever I was struggling,” he said, “and she would say, ‘I don’t need anything else. I just need my son,'” he said. “I was very touched and cried. 스포츠토토 My family is still very supportive,” he said.
After returning from injury, he didn’t have the best of times, but he regained his form thanks to the trust of his commanders and playing consistently. Placement