Samsung Lions veteran hitter Park Byung-ho set the record for the third career 400 home runs in KBO League history in Game 15 of the season against the Doosan Bears of the 2024 Shinhan SOL Bank KBO League at Samsung Lions Park in Daegu on the 4th.안전놀이터
In the bottom of the second inning, Park hit two 128-km folk balls by Doosan starter Choi Seung-yong. Not only did he hit 20 home runs in two years, but he also hit home runs in four consecutive games. Only Doosan Bears coach Lee Seung-yeop (467 home runs) and SSG Landers Choi Jeong (491 home runs) had the 400 home runs title, which he always said was his dream. Park also made the list.
Park Byung-ho, who had his first home run against Matt Blank in the KIA Tigers match held at Gwangju Mudeung Stadium on June 2, 2005, when he was with the LG Twins, failed to take off the title of a big shot prospect and only had 24 home runs in his career at LG.
Since the 2011 season after moving to the Heroes, Park has continuously hit double-digit homers, and has rapidly increased the number of homers. Notably, he posted 52 homers in the 2014 season and 53 in the 2015 season, showing his strength to hit more than 50 homers for two consecutive years. He also had 20 homers or more for nine seasons from the 2012 season to the 2022 season, and has the record of 20 homers for the longest consecutive season in the KBO league.
Park Byung-ho is also a man who has won the most home runs titles in the league. He was the home run king for four consecutive years from 2012-2015 and also ranked first in home runs in 2019 and 2022. Notably, the home run king in the 2022 season was the oldest in the KBO league.
Park Byung-ho, who said his dream was to make 400 KBO League home runs as his last dream after achieving 400 home runs in Korea and the U.S. against the LG Twins in Daegu in June, raised his voice that he had no more personal goals.
After the game against the Doosan Bears in Daegu on Monday, Park said, “I’ve been a home run king while playing baseball, but when the total number of home runs reached the late 300s, I thought it would be a shame if I retire without hitting 400 home runs. Before I retire, I really wanted to hit 400 home runs.”
“It means a lot to go beyond 20 home runs again, regardless of the size and size of the baseball field. My personal goals are all over,” he said.
However, he still has a team goal, not an individual goal. He won the Korean Series title. Park Byung-ho played in the Korean Series in 2014 and 2019 when he was a member of the Heroes and the KT Wiz in 2023, but was the runner-up in both games. Although he is six games behind the Kia Tigers, Samsung is aiming to advance to the Korean Series for the first time in three years since 2021, as well as the fall baseball in nine years after 2015.
Along with Park Byung-ho, Kang Min-ho also hopes to advance to the Korean Series. Kang has never even made it to the Korean Series unlike Park. So Kang said in July, “I personally want to smell the Korean Series because I don’t have much time left in my career. I think I’m winning more games because of young players’ performances compared to three years ago.”
“I’m still having important games. I had a hamstring injury, but I’m glad that I’m helping my team after returning to the team,” Park said. “My next goal is to win the Korean Series with my team’s players. I’ll aim to win the championship since I haven’t won it yet.”
“Samsung has good harmony between old and new. It has a free atmosphere, but it keeps what it keeps. Also, (former) Ja-wook is good at acting as a captain. Min-ho, the eldest among fielders, is also trying to lead the atmosphere. Originally, I played a role of silently supporting Samsung, but when I came to Samsung, I wanted to talk a lot and participate in the atmosphere that the players organized,” he said.
Will Park be able to achieve his last dream.
Park Byung-ho has a batting average of 0.231 69 hits, 20 homers, 58 RBIs and 44 runs scored in 106 games this season. He had a low batting average of 0.206 with 40 hits, nine homers, 25 RBIs and 23 runs in 75 games in the first half, but has played in 31 games in the second half of the year with a batting average of 0.276 with 29 hits, 11 homers, 33 RBIs and 21 runs, spearheading Samsung’s central batting line.