SSG Landers pitcher Kim Tae-hoon leaves his beloved field and begins his second baseball career.
Kim Tae-hoon threw the first pitch in the final game of the season against the Doosan Bears held at Munhak SSG Landers Field on October 17. It was an event created by the club to commemorate his retirement from active duty.
Kim Tae-hoon ran out of the bullpen, greeted the fans, then went up to the mound and threw a powerful first pitch to teammate Seo Jin-yong, who took the lead, and then hugged him. He also hugged and encouraged Kim Gwang-hyun, who was starting.
Kim Tae-hoon went through Donggu Elementary School, Guri Inchang Middle School, and Guri Inchanggo, and joined the team as a first round pick in the 2009 rookie draft. He played an active part as SSG’s franchise player for 15 years until 2023.
Over 15 seasons, Tae-Hoon Kim played in 302 games, recording 18 wins, 64 holds, and 326 strikeouts. In the 2018 season, Tae-Hoon Kim, who became a mainstay of the bullpen pitching team, played the role of a sure-to-win pitcher with 9 wins, 10 holds, an ERA of 3.83, and 94 innings, the most innings by a bullpen pitcher on the team.
In particular, in the 2018 postseason playoffs and Korean Series, Kim Tae-hoon appeared in 8 games and showed his best performance, allowing only 1 run in 11 innings, making a decisive contribution to the team’s fourth championship.메이저놀이터
SSG coach Kim Won-hyung said, “It’s really unfortunate that he is not a player who will retire this early. As a director, he also feels sorry. He must have had a very difficult time, but even when he came to the baseball stadium today, he greeted me with a smile. He expressed deep regret, saying, “I would have prepared well in the first half of this season and had a chance to compete in the second half, but I feel very disappointed.”
Kim Tae-hoon, who met with reporters before the game that day, said, “After being in the second team for almost two years, I thought about a lot. He felt that many good juniors had come in and that his arm condition made it difficult for him to play a full season. He had been planning his second life for some time and then made a decision. He thought he had done everything he could as a baseball player. He also considered his family. “He plans to live a second life by opening a private baseball lesson center in Incheon.”
Kim Tae-hoon chose 2018, when he led the Korean Series championship through his performance, as a memorable moment. Regarding what he regretted during his active years, Kim Tae-hoon said, “There is only one thing I regret. “My biggest regret is that I haven’t been able to consistently throw good balls,” he said.
Lastly, Kim Tae-hoon said, “I would like to say thank you to the fans and all baseball officials who showed interest and love for player Kim Tae-hoon. “I hope he will be remembered as a cheerful, bright and energetic player,” he said emphatically.