Lotte Giants’ Ko Seung-min started as second baseman and third batter in Game 15 of the season against the NC Dinos in the 2024 Shinhan Bank SOL Bank KBO League at Sajik Stadium in Busan on the 27th, and made four hits (one home run) in four at-bats with three RBIs and one run scored.먹튀검증
Ko Seung-min, who had 82 RBIs before the game, has come close to the club’s most 83 RBIs ever recorded at second base, which was held by “tank” Park Jung-tae in 1999. Ko Seung-min showed remarkable performance from the start of the game. After getting a walk against NC’s starting pitcher Lim Sang-hyun at the first at-bat with no outs and runners on the first and second bases in the bottom of the first inning, Ko got off to a good start by banking on Na Seung-yeop’s hit. Then, his bat began to explode from the second at-bat.
At his second batter’s box as the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the third inning with a 3-1 lead, Ko hit Lim’s fifth fastball of 146 kilometers in the count of 1B-2S to garner a hit to left field, and when Lim’s first pitch of 120 kilometers rushed to the center of the strike zone in the bottom of the fourth inning when his team was chased 4-2, he showed his bat without hesitation. As a result, the hit, which stretched at the speed of 167.3 kilometers, went over the right fence and did not come back. This was his 13th homer of this season, and Ko garnered three RBIs, surpassing Park Jung-tae.
It was not the only game. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Ko Seung-min blasted a hit to right field off NC’s changed pitcher Jeon Sam-min at the third at-bat with one out and a runner on the first base, and in the last at-bat in the bottom of the eighth inning, he hit Jeon’s second 132-km slider to complete his three hits, breaking Lotte’s record number of second-base hits, and returning to batting average of 300, spearheading Lotte’s 13-6 victory.
Ko Seung-min, who met with reporters after the game, said, “Coaches worried me a lot. They put pressure on me to hit 300, but I just thought it would be good for me if I continue to play in games and get a lot of hits regardless of whether I have a hit or not,” adding, “That’s right. I think I’ve lost my batting sense since the hit for the cycle.” “I think my condition has deteriorated due to my tiredness. My cycle is not consistent and I tend to go back and forth, but I think I caught it well so that it doesn’t go down further.”
Ko was a second baseman when he was chosen by Lotte. However, perhaps because of his stereotype about the tall second baseman, the Lotte Giants tried hard to wear inappropriate clothes, such as placing Ko in charge of the outfield and first base after serving in the military. After agonizing over the infield after taking the helm of Lotte, manager Kim Tae-hyung decided to put Ko back on the mound as a second baseman, which resulted in a new record for second baseman. “It was a season of difficulties, difficulties, and fun,” he said.
In particular, there was a lot of regret that he failed to advance to the postseason. “I was moving from Suwon to Gwangju, and I didn’t know what other players thought when I was eliminated from the postseason, but I also thought, ‘I don’t want to do it.’ I was so disappointed this year. Still, I was in a situation where I could do it, but I felt sorry that I did not do well as the center. This year was more regrettable than in recent years. Isn’t our team’s batting lineup really good? Eight players had 100 hits, which was a big disappointment. Still, the seniors said, ‘Let’s cheer up because we have our own records and our fans’.
Despite the disappointment of the result, Ko Seung-min did not deny his claim. “I can’t score myself this year. I think the fans should give me a grade. Next year is more important to me. However, as a team, I think I will be able to do well next year,” Ko said. “I think I will be able to catch up with my record in the remaining games. I think I will be able to set a new record every year.”
It has been an impeccable season, but bad news has been sent to Ko recently. Last year and this year, he will undergo surgery at Anam University Hospital on Oct. 14 after the season ends due to ligament damage in the middle of his left thumb. Rehabilitation period is three months. Fortunately, he has no problem preparing for the new season by joining the spring camp of the 2025 season. However, the surgery has made him join the Premier 12 preliminary entry, but he will not be able to join the team in the final round.
Ko Seung-min said, “I don’t have any ligaments in my finger right now. It’s broken. It’s okay when I hit it, but I can’t pick up my helmet. Last year, my ligament was broken by about 60%, but as I kept referring to it, my condition completely worsened. I thought this would be a loss for me, so I decided to get surgery. I had finger surgery before, but at that time, it was partial anesthesia. But this time, it was called sleep anesthesia. So honestly, I’m scared,” he said, about the failure to board the Premier 12, emphasizing, “The doctor told me that I should have surgery right away. I want to get a seat and play for the national team when I get recognized later than now.”